The Blue Hour
by Cianovonjo
Summary: Sometimes when running from your past, you're actually running towards your future. But is happiness eternal or will forces out of your control destroy something you never knew you wanted? Akando, the panther shifter, must figure this out before he loses his love and his life. Set after the events of Breaking Dawn. SLASH, M/M, OMC/M, EmmettxOMC EmbryxOMC
1. Foreword

**WARNINGS:** This story is a slash story, meaning its content describes homosexual relationships and sex. I do not own the Twilight saga (the books or the movie) as they are property of Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment. I do however own the main character and several of the characters not found in the canonical media. Although this story is rated M, the sex will not appear for a while so if you're reading to get your rocks off, this is probably not the best story to read. There's violence, graphic language, sex, and magic. Also, this isn't one of those stories where the two characters instantly fall in love and have sex, there is a buildup. So just sit back and read the story of 2 supernatural creatures and their trials and tribulations. Thank you and enjoy.

**FOREWORD**

*Before I start this story, for my own preferences, I have changed the cast of most of the characters. If you disagree, please keep that to yourself as this is just my own personal preference. All choices were made visually and have nothing to do with actor's acting ability. I consulted Stephenie Meyer's personal choices and those of the existing cast and came up with this list. If you don't know who they are, feel free to google them.

My Characters:

**Akando** (the main character) - Michael Hudson

**Barnabus**- Corey Yates (the model)

**Miriam**- Tao Okamoto

**Hosea**- Jose Parra

**Anna**- Dania Ramirez

**Ezekial**- Reggie Bush

Olympic Coven:

**Carlisle**- Charlie Hunnam

**Esme**- younger Rachel Weisz

**Edward**- Gaspard Ulliel.

**Bella**- Emily Browning

**Renesmee**- Mackenzie Foy

**Alice**- Emma Watson

**Jasper**- Taylor Kitsch

**Emmett**- Kellan Lutz

**Rosalie**- Amber Heard

Quileute Tribe:

**Jacob**- Taylor Lautner

**Seth**- Booboo Stewart

**Leah**- Julia Jones

**Sam**- Martin Sensmeier

**Jared**- younger Steven Strait

**Paul**- Humpemsquaw

**Quil**- Tyler Posey

**Embry**- Krystopher Hyatt (the original from the first movie)

Side note, I didn't know they whole Gaspard Ulliel/Emily Browning thing was like a fan phenomenon! I just always saw Emily as Bella and someone mentioned Gaspard as Edward and I agreed but when I was researching the characters, I started to notice a lot of people were obsessed with this pairing! Also, I know many will find my choice for Jasper strange but if you google 'Taylor Kitsch blonde', there's 2 specific images that changed my mind. There's one close-up of him with like a turtleneck on and another of him leaning back with his shirt open. Then if you google 'Taylor Kitsch young' there's one of him in a white button up and black blazer with his hair in his eyes. And also, imagine his body a lot leaner and less muscular. I also know Stephenie Meyer saw Steven Strait as Jacob but I thought Steven looked too masculine for Jacob. I've always seen Jacob as have a softer face, which is why I kept Taylor Lautner.

I will be posting the first official chapter later today and every subsequent chapter will be posted on Mondays, every week.


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

Running.

That's all I ever seem to be doing lately.

Running from the truth. Running from my past. Running from my future. Running from my fears. Running from my dreams.

Running from myself.

Today I was running to clear my mind. I could feel the cool wind sweeping through my tawny fur, ruffling it in all directions. Even though my body ran hot, I could still feel a slight chill in the air that warned me that winter had arrived. And if winter were here, it meant I'd been on my own for two and a half years.

I could feel the frost covered leaves and twigs crunch under the weight of my massive body, the snow biting into the pads on my paws.

I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen another person as I preferred to stick to the woods, hunting when I could but for the most part, avoiding human contact unless I needed money or supplies. Most people would find it difficult living solely off the land but my time on the reservation helped more than I could ever say. I've come to live a life I'd never expected to live but I refuse to give up hope that it'll get better. Living on my own has taught me a lot. It's taught me how to read people, how to live, and how to survive.

As my body swiftly flew through the forest, avoiding large trees with a simple angle of my body, I could hear my own blood pumping through my quickening heart, the sounds of my footfalls like the beating of drums.

It wasn't always like this for me.

I can remember the exact

moment my life changed. Everything about that night embedded itself firmly in my mind and I often found myself replaying the events of that night over and over again. I can remember the sound of my sister's heart racing as she fumbled to utter her words of forgiveness to me. I can recall the faint smell of my father's cologne that lingered even after he'd already left for work. But most of all, I can remember the look on my mother's face. It was a look of shock. Betrayal. Disgust.

Pulling myself from my own morbid thoughts, I slowed to a light sprint, gauging the distance I had traveled. I could tell I was further from my camp than I wanted to be so I stopped and began turning back when I heard it.

I could hear the sound of voices talking quickly, almost too quickly. Leaves crunched loudly as they moved closer to me. I knew I had to leave before they saw me and panicked. Humans usually don't take well to the sight of a six foot mountain

lion. I angled my large body back in the opposite direction, careful not to make too much noise and I began running back towards my campsite.

I had been running for a couple of minutes when it occurred to me that something wasn't right. I could hear my own footsteps but close behind me, I could also hear lighter, faster footsteps. From the sound of it, there were two of them and they were moving much too quickly to be humans.

_Had they found me? _I wondered as I picked up my pace, hoping to outrun them. Using my advanced sight, I could make out my camp not much further ahead of me. I could see it approaching quickly, the fire I had started dwindling down to embers. I knew that by the end of the night, I would have to restart it.

Before I could reach my camp, a large, heavy weight fell on top of me, knocking me to the ground and pinning my belly into the dirt. I managed to roll away from it, somersaulting until I was back on my paws. When I looked up I could see that what stood in front of me was decidedly **not** human.

Even though he looked human, I knew from experience that he wasn't. Everything about him was perfect. _Too _perfect. From his short, dark, curly hair to the pale pallor of his skin, told me that he wasn't of this world. Having encountered a few over the years, I could recognize the signs. But what startled me the most about him were his eyes. Normally their eyes are bright red and radiated danger, but his were dark and black. As he crouched low and slowly made his way towards me, a lone beam of sunlight shot through the trees, illuminating his large, muscular body, making his pale skin glisten like a million diamonds.

A vampire.

With my revelation, my nose became assaulted by the unmistakable smell of vampire, a scent that smelled of burnt sugar, vanilla, and molasses, so sickly sweet it burned my nose and throat with every inhalation.

The man in front of me began grinning, his gleaming white teeth glistening with venom as his dark eyes took in my size.

"You're a big one." He said, his grin stretching so wide, it appeared to split his face in two.

I arched my back up, commanding my fur to rise as a deep growl began rumbling

from some place deep within my being. I released my claws from their sheaths and bared my fangs, roaring at the intruder, my tail twitching in anticipation. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of thinking I was afraid of him. He may be big but he's certainly not the first vampire I'd had to kill. He glared at me wickedly, accepting my challenge.

There was an almost perceivable ripple in the air as we both charged at each other. As I came at him, he angled his body and twisted it away from me. Before I could spin back towards him, he had his his massive arms wrapped around my middle. I twisted in his grasp, landing on my back but his grip held strong. Using my razor sharp claws I raised up, slashing at the arms holding me down, gouging large grooves into his hard, pale flesh. I could hear him grunting from the pain but he still refused to let go. It seemed that the more I struggled, the tighter he squeezed his arms. I could already feel the breath being squeezed from my lungs as he continued constricting around me.

Deciding to change tact, I again raised my body but this time instead of aiming for the arms, I trained my sharp teeth at this exposed throat. As I went to rip his esophagus from his pale column, he brought his head down hard, connecting with my own and knocking me back down. I was seeing stars and as his hold tightened around me, I could hear the bones in my body breaking and snapping.

The white hot pain that shot through my body was excruciating and I could feel my body losing tension. I knew I didn't have much longer before I lost consciousness but I knew I was not going to die like this.

Lifting my arms caused more pain to needle my body but I ignored it long enough to jam my claws into his chest, gripping as tightly as my declining body would let me. Finally, the vampire let out a scream, opening his arms and releasing me from his grip.

More pain coursed through my body as I collided with the ground. I attempted to roll onto my legs but my body wouldn't allow it. I could taste my own blood in my mouth and my vision was growing blurry. I could feel my breath coming out painfully and there was a raspy wheeze every time I took a breath. I knew I wouldn't last much longer. Lifting my heavy head, I turned my gaze toward the vampire, who now seemed to be missing a chunk of flesh, as he advanced towards me.

I was beginning to slip into unconsciousness when I heard another pair of footsteps rapidly approaching us. As the vampire came upon me, he bared his teeth, preparing to sink them deep into my flesh and bone. But the pain of his bite never came.

As the corners of my vision grew dark, I could hear the newcomer scream.

"Emmett stop! He's human!"

* * *

_I climbed into my bedroom window, trying very hard not to make any noise. I didn't know the exact time but I knew there were only a couple of hours left before the sun would rise and I'd have to start my day. Climbing into the window was a lot easier to do now that I was getting a better grasp on my powers. I knew my father had already left for work but my mother would soon be awake to start her day. I cursed myself for staying out longer than I should have, considering I had school in an hour. It had grown harder and harder trying to keep my transformations from my parents but thanks to my twin sister's help, things had so far gone great. _

_I could hear my sister's heartbeat from inside my room, waiting for me to come home. It seemed slightly erratic, jumping at the slightest noises before settling back down to a steady beat. As I carefully entered the dark room, I instantly knew something was wrong. The atmosphere in the room felt colder…heavier. And it was then I realized there were not one, but two heartbeats in the room._

_ My eyes scanned the room, searching for the source of the other person when my vision fell upon my mother, sitting next to my sister Anola on my bed. Even though the bedroom was pitch black, thanks to my newly enhanced eyesight, I could make out their faces perfectly. My mother's face was a mask, _

_completely devoid of emotion. In the darkness, I could see every line and wrinkle perfectly as if there were a light shining over her. My mother had always been a striking woman. Her sharp, angular cheekbones and full lips looked beautiful under her small, dark eyes. Her long black hair was always immaculately brush away from her face, framing her long, slender neck. Her taut, dark skin didn't hold a single wrinkle, leaving her face ageless._

_ I could see her slowly reach towards my bedside table and flick the small light on. As she took in my appearance- my sweat soaked body, the rapid rise and fall of my heaving chest, and the musky odor of nature, her features began to tighten and contort. Rage blossomed over her features as she quickly stood up and strode towards me._

_ I didn't know what to expect but as she drew closer to me, she did the one thing I never expected my soft-spoken mother to do. She slapped me. I could tell by the pained expression on her face that the slap hurt her much more than it hurt me but still she pulled her arm back, ready to strike again._

_ "Mom, stop!" Anola shouted, jumping from my bed and grabbing my mother's arm. "You'll only hurt yourself!"_

_ Slowly she lowered her arm and turned her steely gaze back on me. I had never felt scared in my mother's presence. Sure, she could be uptight and a little conservative but I had never seen my mom so angry. The ire that dripped from her venomous gaze froze me to the floor, rooting me to the spot. A cold chill shot up my spine as she turned away from me._

_ "I'll give you 10 minutes." She said, her voice hollow and cold._

_ For a moment, all attempts at speech fell from my lips and hit the floor. Finally, I found my voice and was able to speak._

_ "W-what?" I asked, my voice squeaky and shaky._

_"You no longer live here." She responded, slowly walking towards the door. "I cannot have a deceitful abomination in this house. Your very presence here is an affront to everything this tribe has stood for."_

_ "Mom...what are you saying?" Anola said, a look of horror on her face._

_ My mother didn't acknowledge that Anola had spoken when she turned slowly towards me. Standing in the doorway, the light from the hallway spilling into my dark room, the sharp angles I once considered beautiful now looked dark and hard._

_ "You are no longer my son. You are an imposter. A thief! And I can't stand the sight of you." She said, her face contorted in disgust. "What you are is unnatural!"_

_ "Mommy?..." I said, reaching out for her. My hand shook uncontrollably and I could already feel the hot sting of tears rolling down my face. As I looked over at Anola, I could see the wet lines of tears streaking her face as well. "Where am I supposed to go?"_

_ "Anywhere but here." She said, walking out of the door and down the hallway. As I listened to the sound of her bedroom door slamming shut, I stood on shaky legs and began packing my bag. I could hear Anola loudly sobbing, begging me not to go but her words fell on deaf ears. I was numb._

_ As I easily hefted the large bag onto my shoulder, I walked to my window and gazed out onto the skyline. The sun would soon be rising as the darkness of the night was slowly being chased away, casting the night in a bright blue glow. An errant thought ran through me._

This is what they call the blue hour_, I thought staring out onto the horizon and thinking about the astronomy lessons I seldom paid attention to at school. Somehow now, more than ever, I understood the true meaning of this time of day. I could still hear Anola sniffling behind me and I knew that if I turned and looked at her, I would break again so I slowly crawled out of the window onto the roof and jumped._

_As my feet hit the wet, dewy grass, I knew I would never call this place "home" again._

* * *

As I slowly opened my eyes, my eyelids heavy with sleep, I was assaulted by blinding white light. Instinctly, I threw my arm up to block out the light but the movement sent a sharp pain shooting through my side and into my body. The pain was so striking, my lungs painfully constricted and it took all of my willpower not to cry out. I slowly placed my hands on my side, hoping the contact would alleviate some of the pain but instead of flesh, my fingers brushed against a rough fabric wrapped tightly around my chest and ribs.

Confusion raced through my veins like fire and I tried wracking my brain to remember how I'd found myself in this position. The last thing I could remember was running through the woods when something hit me. Something big. A vampire. My eyes instantly flew open, ignoring the brightness of the room. After a minute or so, my vision became accustomed to the light and I was able to take in my surroundings. The first thing I noticed was the smell. The entire room smelled really clean. Too clean; so clean that every breath I took burned my nose but there was a light, almost floral scent someplace faraway.

As my eyes travelled around the room, I began to realize I was in a hospital room of sorts. Everything was clean and white, like a hospital but there were touches that made it apparent I wasn't in a real hospital. Firstly, the floor was covered in thick, plush white carpet, and the huge bed I was lying in was swaddled in soft, Egyptian cotton sheets. There was a long table by the window that was covered in all sorts of flowers and when I trained my nose toward them, I could smell their fragrance being choked out by the antiseptic. I then noticed the incessant beeping of the heart monitor next to my bed, the IV connected to my arm and the oxygen tube in my nose.

Alarmed, I ripped the IV out of my forearm and the tubes from my nose, causing a brief moment of pain to needle through me. Ignoring it, I tossed the blankets from my sore body and shifted my frame, planting my feet firmly on the carpet. Initially I'd thought I was naked but as I glanced down at my bruised and bandaged body, I was relieved that I was wearing a pair of silk pajama pants. It wasn't that I'm very modest but somehow even the thin layer of silk made me feel more secure in this unfamiliar setting. As I went to stand, my legs buckled under the weight of my body and I caught myself before I hit the ground, using the bed for support. Taking a few unsteady steps towards the door, I began to grasp my footing. Every step I took pained me but I knew that wherever I was, I needed to get the hell out of here.

When I opened the door, I was surprised by what surrounded me. I expected to be in some weird science lab or government testing facility but it appeared as if I was in someone's home. A very large and expensive home. Instantly I went into "Hunter Mode", scoping out my surroundings and taking in the best plan of escape. Turning towards my right, I silently inched down the long hallway, my back pressed against the wall. When I reached the end of the hallway, it emptied into a large landing. The most dominating feature I could see was an enormous black cross hanging on the wall across from the stairs. There were doors leading into other rooms but my target was the pewter steps leading downstairs and towards the front door.

I cautiously took a step, hoping it wouldn't make a noise. I released a breath I didn't know I was holding when the steps remained silent. Reassured, I began my descent into the unknown. As I took each step, I froze for a moment just to be certain I wouldn't be ambushed at any moment. When I got halfway down the steps, I realized my back was pressed against a wall that had a huge painting above it. When I glanced up at the painting, I realized it wasn't a painting or photo but what appeared to be row after row of graduation caps. Such an interesting piece intrigued me to know what type of people would have such an odd piece in their home.

Shaking myself out of my ruminations, I continued down the stairs to the bottom. When I reached the bottom landing, I could hear voices coming from further into the house. I paused, listening to the direction they were coming from, hoping to escape without having to confront the residents in my damaged condition. I could clearly make out 4, maybe 5, voices and I knew I'd have no chance against 4 people. It sounded as if there were at least 3 males and a woman. As I looked around the landing, my heart dropped when I realized the only door I could possibly leave out of would take me past the voices I was trying to avoid. I glanced at the large glass windows lining almost every wall of the house but my optimism was dashed as I realized none of them opened.

With shaky breath, I resigned that I would have to slip past them in order to leave. Taking a deep breath, I crept silently down the hallway towards the voices, doing everything in my power not to alert them to my presence. As I drew closer to them, my ears began to pick up on their conversation and my body unintentionally froze, trying to decipher what they were talking about.

"…but Carlisle, he's going to wake up eventually and he's going to perceive us as a threat." One voice said. It had a soft masculinity to it with just the barest hint of an accent, from where I couldn't place.

"Yes, I understand that Edward, but he's also a living creature with a mind. We can't treat him like an animal and lock him up." The other voice, Carlisle I'm assuming, answered. His voice was deep and commanding but also soft and gentle.

"But isn't that what he is?" Edward responded. "Carlisle, he's a shifter and one I've never seen before. Who knows where his allegiance lies and I have a family to protect."

"As do we, Edward, but we don't turn our backs on people who need help, especially when it's our fault he was hurt in the first place." The female voice responded. It was soft and motherly but had a chiding tone to it.

"I said I was sorry!" A third voice shouted. This one was deep and masculine and I instantly recognized it. It was the voice of the vampire who'd attacked me. My hair began to rise and I could feel anger flare up inside of me. Every bone and muscle in my body was tight with tension. I wanted to run into the room and rip his head off but the calmer side of me reminded me that I couldn't take on 4 vampires right now.

I took several calming breaths and as I could feel myself calming back down, I could hear my name being mentioned.

"…and when I got there, it looked like he was camped out there. I went through his stuff and found a school ID with his picture on it. His name's Akando Kohana." Edward said.

"Ok, that's a start." Carlisle responded, a contemplative tone to his voice. "What else do we know about him? Any family?"

"Well, I found a cell phone. It appears to work but when I dialed the number under 'Mom', the call went straight…" Edward stated.

"What is it? What's wrong?" The woman asked.

"He's up. He can hear us." Edward responded.

My heart began to race as I realized they knew I was listening to them. As if on cue, I could hear them moving towards me. I knew I couldn't take them all but I'd be damned if I let them take me belly up. Swinging around the corner, I could see them staring at me, their amber eyes wide in surprise. I could feel the ripple of change shoot up my spine as my bones and muscles began to morph and change. Suddenly, a crippling pain ran through my body and a hacking cough escaped my throat. I could feel my lungs seize and all of the air in my body was being sapped out. I could see one of the vampires race to my side but the instant his cold hands touched my arm, I recoiled back as if burned and a visceral growl vibrated past my taut lips, stretched over my large fangs.

The room lurched forward and I could feel the change recede back. Sweat was pouring down my body and big black stars were invading my sight. I was losing myself but I could suddenly feel myself being lifted from the ground and being carried to the couch. Turning my head up, I could see the worried face of the vampire who attacked me staring down at me.

"Carlisle, is he going to be ok?" He asked, looking towards Carlisle who was making his way towards me. I still couldn't breathe and I could feel myself losing consciousness again. I was trying hard not to lose it but it pushed down on me like a weight.

"He should be fine Emmett but we've got to get some air back into him before he passes out again." Carlisle responded distractedly.

I could feel Carlisle's hand quickly removing the bandages around my ribs and the feel of his cold hands gliding across my hot flesh felt soothing. I could feel my eyelids flutter closed and again, darkness seized me.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

So this chapter is only slightly shorter than the rest will be but I wanted to first let you guys get a feel for the new character and everything before I really jumped into the story. This is also the first time I'm writing in first person so it's kind of new and strange for me. Just a heads up, although this story is set in the bookverse, I have taken elements from the movie and incorporated them into the story.

I will pose a question to my readers since it's you who will be reading this story. Who would you rather see Akando with? Emmett or Jasper?

Initially and 'canonically' when I created Akando, he's meant to be with Embry. I never create OCs and place them romantically with preexisting characters that aren't gay BUT I've always felt Stephenie Meyer was trying to tell us Embry was a homo. First of all, she portrayed him as the quiet, sensitive one in the group and then the actor they got to play him in the movie looks pretty gay. But then when I started writing this story, I figured no one would want to read about them since he's not really a popular character. Then I decided I really wanted to write Akando with a vamp only because I would love the interspecies ramifications of that pairing. I've never liked Edward and I figured between Jasper and Emmett, I'd be most attracted to Jasper only because I'm not a fan of big muscles but now that I've written this chapter, I like the idea of AkandoxEmmett so now, idk.

The choice is now up to you!


	3. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

The rich, aromatic smell of home-cooked food pulled me from my unconsciousness and tethered me to the physical plane. I could still feel some achiness in my bones but it was easier for me to breathe. I took a few experimental sniffs at the air, allowing the smells to wash over me. I could pinpoint every flavor as each smell brought the memories of long forgotten meals to my taste buds. I could smell roasted rosemary chicken, garlic red potatoes, something made with a thick broth that smelled strongly of onions, beef tenderloin, balsamic brussel sprouts, and chocolate cake. The strong and powerful scents made my mouth water and my stomach grumble. I didn't know how long I'd been asleep but I knew it had been a long time since I'd eaten a good meal that wasn't raw or from a takeout bag.

I could feel myself coming closer to consciousness when my stomach gave another loud rumble.

"Sounds like someone's hungry." A voice chuckled.

Instantly my senses were alight. The food did well to mask the too-sweet vampire smell but now that I was aware of his presence, the scent filled my mind and stoked the flames of my rage. My eyes flew open and like a rubber band pulled taut, my body snapped into a crouching position and a growl erupted from my lips. There was a throbbing pain in my side but I chose to ignore it. Looking over at the vampire, his demeanor calm and nonthreatening, I noticed he was the one they'd called 'Carlisle'. I also began to realize I was still in the living room I'd passed out in. I was crouched atop the plush, expensive fabric of a long pale blue brocade sofa. It was soft yet sleek and modern. The vampire sat on the matching loveseat across from me, his legs crossed and his hands rested lightly in his lap. There was nothing but a gold and glass coffee table separating us and I knew with one leap, I could separate his head from his shoulders and not bat an eye. I'm by no means a killer but I would never hesitate to live.

The vampire Carlisle smiled warmly, raising his hands in the air, his palms facing me as he slowly rose from the chair and moved towards me. I could feel the change wanting to release itself, the buildup of pressure inside of me that wanted to literally burst through my flesh but I held it down.

"Calm down." Carlisle said, pausing his stride when my growl deepened. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen. I'm the one who patched you up."

As he neared me, he stuck his hand out in a polite gesture. Sensing his civility, I slowly pulled the change back. I would hear him out but I wouldn't let my guard down. With an appraising eye, I took in the vampire's appearance. He was very handsome and didn't look like he was older than 25. He was dressed in a crisp white button up shirt and grey tweed trousers. As my gaze moved up, I couldn't deny his attractiveness. He looked like a movie star and I could see through the folds of his shirt that he had a lean but fairly muscled shape. His blonde hair was swept away from his face and matched the golden hue of his eyes perfectly. Eyes that twinkled with compassion and kindness.

"You're supposed to shake it." He replied with a smile. I couldn't sense anything bad about him but living on the streets teaches you that appearances can be deceiving. Slowly I stood from my crouching position and allowed my feet to touch the dark hardwood floors. I hesitantly raised my hand and thrust it towards Carlisle's waiting hand. He gently wrapped his cold hand around mine and gave it a slight shake before pulling it back.

"Where am I?" I finally said after several seconds of silence.

"Forks, Washington. You see, my sons Emmett and Edward were out hunting and Emmett, in his hunger, thought you were an actual mountain lion and attacked you." He replied as he walked back to the loveseat and sat.

I took this as an opportunity to scope out the house, noting all my escape routes and any obstructions. Most of what I could see of the house was made of glass so as a last resort, I could jump through one of the windows. There were glass double doors that led to a deck but I couldn't see the front door. When he saw that I wouldn't respond, he continued.

"So they brought you here. It seems that when he attacked you, he broke a few ribs and one of them punctured your lungs. Thanks to your remarkable healing ability, your lungs seem to have healed rather quickly but the ribs were a problem. By the time we got you back here, the ribs had already begun to heal incorrectly, so I had to break them again and set them properly." He said, staring into my eyes, trying to gauge my reaction.

_So I'm in Washington?_ I thought as I went over what he'd just told me. _The last time I remember seeing any location markers, was 2 weeks ago in Idaho. I guess I traveled further than I thought I had._

"Thank you." I said tersely. "So, I'm not going to beat around the bush. You're a vampire, why haven't you killed me yet?"

Carlisle regarded me for a minute before sighing.

"Contrary to the experiences I'm sure you've had with my kind, we're not all animals. As a matter of a fact, my family is what you can call 'vegetarians'. We only drink animal blood."

"And where is this 'family'?" I asked. I don't know if it was my hunger or his genuineness but I could feel myself becoming more comfortable in his presence.

"Well Alice, Rosalie, and Jasper are still out hunting. They should be back tomorrow night, you can meet them then. Edward and Bella are at their home; a cottage not far from here that Esme gave them as a wedding gift. Renesmee and Jacob are on the reservation. Emmett is out taking a walk. He feels rather bad about hurting you. And my wife Esme, as you can probably smell, is in the kitchen cooking every meal she knows how for you."

When he spoke about his family, the look of happiness that spread over his face warmed me but also sent a cold spike of resentment through me. I would never have that happy ending with my family. My mother made sure of that.

"Wow, you have a big family!" I said finally, trying to smile through my own inner turmoil.

"Yes, I do. None of us are related by blood but I do not love any of them any less." Carlisle replied, a smile playing on his lips. "What about you? Do you have any family?"

I paused for a moment, trying to gauge how much the vampire needed to know about me but seeing as I knew I wouldn't be here for long, I figured it couldn't hurt.

"I do. My mom, dad, and my twin sister Anola." I said. I tried to keep the emotion out of my voice but I knew from the sad look on Carlisle's face that I hadn't succeeded.

"I take it you're not very close with them?" Carlisle asked.

"Not really. My parents kicked me out 2 years ago when I was 15. I still talk to my sister but the conversations are never really very long and I can tell she keeps things from me."

"If you don't mind me asking, why did they kick you out?" Carlisle inquired.

Even though I felt comfortable talking to him, there was a limit on what I would tell the stranger about my life. Before I could tell him I did mind him asking, the woman from earlier walked into the living room. She looks absolutely stunning. She was wearing a petal pink chiffon blouse that was tucked into a beige skirt that hugged her shapely hips beautifully. Even though she was wearing nude colored pumps, her footsteps were practically silent. She wasn't wearing much makeup but what makeup she was wearing only furthered to enhance her beauty.

"Oh, you're awake?!" She said excitedly, tossing her perfectly curled, caramel-colored hair over her right shoulder. "Good, dinner is ready."

"Akando, this is my wife Esme." Carlisle said, standing from the chair and wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her tightly against him.

"It's lovely to meet you officially." Esme responded. In an instant she was in front of me wrapping her arms around me in a warm embrace. Normally I would have probably turned violent and broke her neck but she was so warm and open that I couldn't bring myself to hurt her. When she realized I hadn't hugged her back, she hesitantly pulled away. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so forward."

"No," I said. "It's not your fault. It appears that my time in the wild has left me without my graces."

Carlisle and Esme exchanged quick looks before they both released a chuckle.

"Well, welcome to our home." She replied. "Maybe you would like to change before dinner?"

It was then I became aware of my wardrobe. I was still shirtless and wearing the silk pants I had on when I'd first awoken.

"Yes please." I said sheepishly. Even though she still appeared to be rather young, Esme had a motherly quality about her that reminded me of the way my own mother had been.

"Umm…I don't have anything else. All of my stuff is still in the woods."

"Actually, we found your stuff." Carlisle replied. "But your clothes weren't in the best condition so we bought you some new ones."

This floored me. No one's ever bought me anything and expected nothing in return. For a moment, my own suspicion was chased away by their generosity. John Bunyan once said "You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you." It was apparent these people lived by that motto.

"Thank you." I said humbly. "Where are my things?"

"Up the stairs, the last door to the right." Carlisle responded.

I nodded in their direction and turned back towards the staircase. No longer being under the context of trying to escape gave me an opportunity to actually see the house. An architectural piece of artistry made of glass and wood, the huge house was absolutely breathtaking. Looking through one of the many windows, I could see tall trees completely surrounding the house. On the inside, it was a perfect mix of modern and vintage. There were pieces that looked as if they belonged in a museum sitting next to things so advanced, they looked as if they were plucked right out of Star Wars. Somehow the two ideas never clashed but melded perfectly together to create a unique and beautiful space.

When I reached the landing, I turned to the right and proceeded down the hallway. I had expected them to keep me in the hospital-like room they'd put me in before but when I walked into the bedroom, it was very different from the other room. 3 of the walls were windows, only separated by a half wall which kept the bedroom and the bathroom separate. Against the wall separating the bedroom and bathroom was the biggest bed I'd ever seen. It was easily large enough to fit 4, covered in stark black and white sheets and a thick, fluffy bright red comforter atop it. There were white wood bedside tables on opposite sides of it. In the corner sat a black and white vertical striped chair with hounds tooth pillows sitting neatly disheveled on top of it next to a small glass table with a pirouetting pierrot clown on it, moving seemingly on its own. At the foot of the bed sat a lacquered black trunk atop a large white area rug. Aside from the comforter, the only color in the entire room was a painting hanging above the bed. It was stark white with a single red square in the center.

I had never seen anything so nice and beautiful, so beautiful I almost didn't want to walk into it. As I carefully stepped into the room, I could see an enormous Neiman's bag on the bed which I could only assume contained the clothes they'd bought for me. I had a moment of curiosity as I pondered how they'd gotten it all so fast. From the looks of all the woods around the house, I assumed Forks wasn't the type of place with upscale stores like Neiman's. The niceness of my surroundings clashed horribly with my dirty, ratty backpack that sat next to the shopping bag.

Remembering that I had a task I was meant to be doing, I walked to the bed and emptied the clothes out on top of it. As I thumbed through the clothes, I was surprised that not only did they feel a lot less threadbare than my own but they were exactly my style. Going through each piece, I evaluated in my head which things were cheap enough to keep and which ones I would have to keep fairly new to inevitably sell. I didn't want to belittle their generosity but I knew there would be a time when I'd need the money these expensive clothes would undoubtedly fetch. Rummaging around, I found an outfit that was both extravagant enough so I wouldn't feel drab but still simple enough to not feel overdressed. The remaining clothes I folded and put into my backpack.

I picked up the clothes and made my way into the bathroom. The window from the adjoining room continued on into the bathroom. It wasn't nearly as large as the bedroom but still bigger than anyplace I've ever lived. There was a standing shower enclosed in frosted glass and a two person sink that looked as if it too were made of glass. The toilet was discreetly placed in the corner and it was, thankfully, black porcelain.

I padded silently over to the huge mirror above the sink and gave myself a thorough looking over. For the most part, over the years I've been able to keep myself up. My body was naturally very muscular because of my shifter genes but unlike some of the other shifter breeds, the panthers were known for being muscular but lean. Surprisingly my long, black hair wasn't a tangled mess but was shiny and smelled of lemons. Brushing it back, I gazed longingly into my light brown eyes. It struck a chord that the Cullen's still allowed me to stay in their home considering I looked like a punk with the numerous piercings and tattoos decorating my body. People had always told me I could be a model if not for the holes in my face but looking at the faces of the boys on the magazines today, I would fit right in amongst the thin, tattooed waifs on the covers. I had large black discs stretching both of my ears with 2 additional ones in my cartilages. My left eyebrow, the bridge of my nose, and both nipples were pierced, along with the 2 piercings underneath my bottom lip. I had 5 tattoos which I'd always worn with pride as the process of tattooing someone who can heal incredibly fast was an extremely painful ordeal. The first one on my left arm, I'd gotten shortly after I left home. It was a large tribal circle that the shifters of my tribe are all branded with. It was similar to the one the wolves got only it was surrounded by black circles that stretched down to my forearm, leaving much of my bicep covered in black ink. There were 2 on my right bicep. The one closest to my shoulder was a simple panther paw print and underneath it were 3 stripes that got thinner. I had vines and flowers crawling up my right calf, and a dream catcher on my right shoulder blade. Overall, I looked like a poster child for a boy from the wrong side of the tracks.

I gazed at my hair. So innocuous to most people held a lot of meaning for me. My father had always been opposed to the idea of me having long hair as he thought it perpetuated the look of the typical Native American. He was a doctor who had assimilated to the point of completely denying his culture. My mother on the other hand was an avid traditionalist and urged us to learn our histories. It was because of her love for my father that she agreed to leave her family and thoughts on the reservation and raise us amongst non-Natives.

Between my parents, I was closest to my father. He'd always encouraged me to express myself and speak my mind. He had never been a creative person but had allowed me to experiment with my looks even at a young age. It was him who took me to get my first ear piercings when my mother had demanded he not do it. It wasn't until he reminded her that traditionally our people had numerous piercings that she allowed it. It always surprised me that my parents ever got together because they were so different. But you know what they say about opposites…

Pulling myself out of my reverie, I looked down at the clothes in my hands and began putting them on. First, I slipped my toned legs into the skinny black jeans. The label said Versace and amongst the things I had picked out, they appeared to be the most extravagant. They had been expertly and precisely ripped and torn, exposing the skin on my thighs and calves but parts of the rips were being held together with gold safety pins of varying size, each sporting a tiny Medusa head. Next I pulled the simple black sweater over my head. It was knitted but had a waxy, almost latex-like sheen to it. Finally there was a red plaid shirt that I tied tightly around my waist.

Giving myself a quick once over, I quickly braided my long hair and stepped back into the bedroom. The sun had gone down, casting the trees in an aura of blue and silver. The view was beautiful and if I had a camera, I was sure I'd be taking photos of it.

As I stepped into the hallway, I could hear Esme and Carlisle talking to someone. As I got closer, I recognized some of the voices. They were the same voices I'd heard in the woods before.

When I turned the corner and entered the kitchen, the first person I saw was a girl who looked to be about my age. She had long brown hair and the same amber eyes as the others. She was rather pretty, something to be expected with vampires, but there was something about the way she shyly smiled at me that made me think that maybe she hadn't been a vampire for long. She was dressed in a simple pair of blue jeans, a long sleeved black shirt, and a green army jacket.

"Hi, I'm Bella." She said, waving slightly in my direction.

"And I'm her husband, Edward." The guy next to her replied. There was something almost rude about the way he said it that made it apparent he wasn't happy I was here. He was very attractive but I could tell I wouldn't like him very much.

"The feeling's mutual." He said, grabbing Bella's hand and pulling her away from me.

His response startled me a little. Had I said that out loud? Looking at the other faces, it appeared as if they hadn't heard me. So how had Edward?

As I surveyed the room, my eyes fell on the last stranger in the room. It was the huge vampire who had attacked me earlier, the one they'd called Emmett. Now that I wasn't trying to be killed and eaten, I began to notice how gorgeous he was. I never typically went for the muscular, masculine type but everything about him drew me closer. Even his smell wasn't as invasive and overpowering as the others' were. I could see his eyes slowly look up and meet mine and I could feel my face flush and my heart race. I had never felt like this about anyone before and it made me uncomfortable. I didn't like it one bit. I knew I would be leaving tonight and I didn't need any temptation clouding my judgment. I was in no position to be anything to him other than the guy he almost killed. Clearing my throat, I walked over to him, my hand held out in front of me.

"Hey I'm Akando." I said. He smiled brightly and grabbed my hand firmly, giving it a shake. The coldness of his hand felt nice against my hot flesh. "So you must be the big lug who tried to eat me."

"Yea man, I'm **really** sorry about that." He said, scratching the back of his head and ruffling his short dark brown hair. I was positive if he could blush, his pale skin would be flushed red about now. "I'm Emmett by the way."

"Well Emmett, don't think that just because you got the drop on me once means I can't take you. Rematch?" I asked.

His face nearly split in two with the smile he gave me in return, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"You are so on dude!" He replied excitedly.

"Not until after he eats!" Esme said.

"And not until after he heals!" Carlisle added.

* * *

"The meal was amazing Esme." I'd finally said after I'd devoured everything Esme had made. Living in the wild, I could never eat as much as I probably should and lately I could feel my diet taking a toll on my body. I was getting thinner than I should be, even for a panther shifter.

"It was my pleasure!" She responded cheerfully. "Since Bella's change I haven't been able to really cook for anyone except Jacob."

"And he eats enough for all of us." Emmett said jokingly. His beautiful smile was infectious and pretty soon, we were all laughing. Everyone except Edward. Ever since he'd arrived, there was a thick air of tension that I couldn't shake. I would be talking to Emmett or Carlisle and I'd catch him staring intently at me. I knew he didn't trust me, that much was clear, but I certainly didn't trust him or his family. Their generosity aside, there aren't many people in this world you can truly trust and I wasn't ready to put all my faith in people I'd just met. Everyone has two faces. The fact that they were all vamps didn't bother me one bit. I don't think an individual should be judged for the actions of the group.

I lazily glanced at the clock on the wall. I was surprised when it read 9:15. Startled, I jumped from my chair, causing it to scrape loudly on the hardwood floor. All action ceased and everyone turned in my direction.

"Akando, what's…" Emmett started.

"I've got to go." I said hurriedly.

"No, no, you sit down." Esme replied, gently pushing me back into the chair.

"I am really grateful for what you guys did for me but really, I've outstayed my welcome." I said after sitting back down.

"Nonsense, these last 3 days have been fine. We like having you here." Carlisle responded, a warm smile on his face.

"3 days?!" I said loudly. "I thought I'd only been here a day! Now I really have to go."

"Dude, calm down." Emmett said, staring into my eyes, trying to calm me. The effect was immediate. Just looking at him distracted me long enough to calm down. His smell had become intoxicating to me and I could feel myself growing warm under his gaze.

"Besides," he continued. "You still have to heal. We're not going to let you leave when you're still hurt. Just stay until you're fully healed and we'll let you go."

"He's right Akando." Carlisle interjected. "With your healing factor, you should be all healed in about a day."

"That's really kind of you but really, I can't stay." I said. I could hear the tone in my voice and it was almost desperate. It wasn't that I didn't want to stay, I did but there are forces in this world who seek to hurt me and I wouldn't wish that on this nice family. My problems were mine alone and I didn't want to be responsible for bringing them to the Cullens.

"What's Exodus?" Edward asked suddenly. When I turned to look at him, he was staring directly at me, accusation written on his face.

"How did you know…" I began. I didn't know how Edward knew but he'd somehow discovered what I didn't want to tell the others.

"Edward can read minds." Emmett responded matter-of-factly.

"So…what's Exodus?" He said, his gaze unwavering. "You were thinking that you didn't want them to find you here. Who are they?"

"First of all leech, someone needs to teach you manners. It's not nice to read people's thoughts without permission!" I said viciously. The tension snapped and I could feel the change slowly rippling through my body, fighting against the pain in my weary bones. Edward, seeing my challenge, quickly jumped from his seat, crouched and hissing at me.

"Stop this!" Carlisle shouted, authority dripping from every word. It was enough to stop me in my tracks. I glanced over at Emmett and instead of being scared someone would get hurt, he looked almost…pleased.

"Damn Carlisle, I wanted to see Edward get his ass kicked." He smirked.

"He wishes." Edward replied, turning from us as he walked back to his seat and sat. His eyes never left me.

"I don't know, Eddy. Akando looks pretty scrappy. I always told you someone would eventually kick your ass for always getting in people's heads." Emmett said.

"Emmett…" Esme said warningly. Emmett raised his hands in defeat but the smirk never left his face.

"Akando, is it true?" Carlisle asked, looking at me intently. He looked worried and I wouldn't say his worry was unfounded. "Is Exodus really after you?"

"Yea." I responded. "Which is why I've gotta go now. If I've already been here 3 days, then they already know I'm here and I'm putting you all in danger."

"I knew it!" Edward shouted, standing from his seat. I could see Bella urging him to sit but he seemed to be oblivious to her actions. He looked pretty angry but it did nothing to scare me. I looked back at him defiantly, showing him that I wasn't afraid of him.

"Edward, sit down!" Carlisle said. I had pegged Carlisle as being gentle but it appeared he could be quite fearsome when he needed to be.

"Carlisle honey…what **is** Exodus?" Esme asked when everyone had settled back down.

Slowly Carlisle turned and looked at Esme.

"They're an organization." He said slowly.

"What kind of organization?"

"An organization of…Hunters."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Ok, so I think that's a good place to stop. In this chapter, Akando and Emmett have officially met and I'm sorry if you were expecting instant flirtation but Emmett is still a married man people! And no Akando didn't imprint. I find the idea of imprinting ridiculous and stupid, much too sappy for my tastes.

In this chapter we also learn that Akando's not just running from his past but from Exodus. Who they are exactly I'll explain in the next chapter but suffice it say they are the main antagonist of this story. A lot of Twilight fanfics use Victoria/Laurent/James or the Volturi so I wanted to break that mold and bring in a new enemy. The idea of vampire hunters is clearly not the most original but what's done is done.

I've never liked Edward as a character (or Bella for that matter) which is why I've given him and Akando a confrontational relationship but trust me, he's not the only one in the Cullen house who hates Akando.

So I hope you enjoyed it and stay tuned for the next chapter.

Btw, the main cast of the series is so large! I might have to make a rule that I'll only put like 4 people in one scene since the Cullens multiply like wet gremlins.


	4. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

"What exactly do they hunt?" Bella asked, slipping past Edward's taut form. He looked ready to attack me at any moment and the thrill of knowing I'd affected him so much excited me.

"Us." Carlisle responded with finality.

"Wait, that doesn't make any sense." Emmett said, confusion on his face. "Why are they after you then?"

"From what I understand, centuries ago when the existences of other things besides vampires were discovered, Exodus decided to dedicate their time to eradicating anything not human, including me." I responded.

"Then I say we get rid of him before they come for him." Edward said defiantly.

"We can't." Esme responded. "Even if we did kick him out now, which we aren't, that's not going to stop them from coming here. Especially if they've already tracked him here."

"Akando, when was the last time you've encountered them?" Emmett inquired.

This caused me to give his question some thought. It had been a while since I'd run into them as I always tried to stay one step ahead of them but in the back of my mind, I knew they never stopped hunting me. Usually when they were close to catching me, I'd get a mysterious text message telling me to run. To this day, I don't know who sends them but the one time I'd chosen to ignore them; I'd almost gotten myself killed.

"The last time we had a confrontation was about 2 months ago in Colorado. I'd barely made it out alive. They teamed up with the group who were in charge of that area so I was heavily outnumbered."

"What do you mean 'teamed up'? Just how many are there?" Carlisle asked. His face morphed from a look of concern to intrigue.

"All the members of Exodus are divided into teams of 5. Each team is in charge of a certain area. I met the ones who're chasing me in New Orleans." I replied thinking back to the discovery that there were people out there who'd wanted me dead.

"So why are they still following you? You're clearly out of their jurisdiction." Esme said.

"It's because they want to study me. I'm an anomaly." When I glanced around at the confused faces, I continued. "The gene responsible for making a Panther shifter is only passed down through women. I'm not supposed to be a shifter, my sister is."

The admission caused a moment of sadness to wash over me. It was because of my ability to shift that destroyed my family. I used to pray every day that I would wake up and it would all be a dream.

"So, what? They're trying to capture you and then dissect you? Bullshit!" Emmett said passionately. "How can humans be strong enough to take out any of us?"

"That is a good question." Carlisle agreed. "I've been aware of Exodus for some time and although our younger brethren have died by their hands, the number of vampires who were actually killed by Exodus was very small. Usually, humans were the ones executed instead. The Witch Trials, The Inquisition, even the Holocaust were all the result of Exodus. They believe that what they're doing, they do in the name of god. They even erase their names and takes those of biblical prophets and saints. But how can they have grown so strong?"

"Science." I replied. "They have found a way to mix science and magic. There's a branch of Exodus called Genesis and whereas Exodus are hunters and warriors, Genesis is made of scientists. These scientists are not only responsible for crafting the weapons Exodus uses, weapons made from the bodies of vampires, but they've found a way to synthesize vampire venom. When the members of Exodus inject themselves with this new venom, they temporarily gain all the strengths and none of the weaknesses you vampires have."

"Are you serious?" Esme asked, her face wide with horror. "That's mad!"

"Man has done many mad things in the name of God." Carlisle replied somberly.

"Wait…how do you know all of this?" Edward asked suspiciously.

I threw my gaze in his direction, daring him to act out again. I'm not generally a violent person but he and his smug expression was really getting on my nerves.

"If you really want to know **Edward**, I know this because I used to be in a relationship with one of its members."

Esme gasped as I made my proclamation and I could see Edward's face grow dark.

"Then how do we know you're not working for them now?" He said, his rage barely concealed.

"Read my mind Professor Xavier, and you tell me if I'm lying." I said, crossing my arms across my chest.

For a moment, a look of concentration etched into Edward's granite features. Tiny lines formed where his smooth forehead wrinkled and I could feel a small tingle at the back of my head. For good measure, I allowed myself to call up every bit of murderous intent I had in me and projected images of every bad thing I wanted to do to Edward. I could tell the moment he'd left my head. It was as if a weight was lifted and I could see him turn away from the others.

"He's telling the truth." He said finally.

"I told you." I said, sending Edward's trademark smug look back at him. Turning my attention back to the others, I continued. "I met Hosea in the French Quarter during one of New Orleans' many festivals and there was an instant attraction. Usually I never stayed in one place too long but I had left home not too long ago and I was simply looking for a place to settle down for a while and I thought it would be with him. In the beginning, whenever he'd get a cryptic phone call and rush off, I'd relish the whole 'man of mystery' vibe he had but soon I grew suspicious. Then one night I followed him. I watched him meet up with the others and I watched them execute a child. He was barely 10 years old. I was so disgusted I ran home."

I took a moment to collect myself. I suddenly felt slim, cold arms wrapping around me as Esme smiled warmly at me, silently telling me to continue. I could tell by the way she flinched that touching me was causing her great pain but it warmed my heart to see that she would suffer for me. The idea was so foreign to me that initially I wanted to pull away and get as far away from her as I could but instead, I willed myself not to move and lean into her touch.

"When he came home that night, I confronted him about it and instead of lying, he told me everything. He explained to me that the boy was a shifter and they'd killed his mother the night before. He then told me all about Genesis and Exodus. I couldn't even look at him, I felt so sick. He then told me that he knew I was a shifter as well. He said he'd smelled it on me. Instantly I went on the defensive and I shifted. We wrestled for a while but neither of us really wanted to hurt the other so I changed back and we talked. We decided that for both of us, it would be safer if we stopped seeing each other. It was hard, but I packed my things and I left Louisiana. Little did I know, his squad had discovered about our affair and shortly after, they came for me and I've been running since."

There was a moment of somber silence in the room until finally Emmett broke the silence.

"Sooo…you're gay?"

Instantly the room erupted in laughter at what he'd said.

"What? I just asked a question!"

"Yes Emmett, I'm gay. Is that a problem?" I asked.

"Nah man, I don't care. I've just never personally known a gay person."

"Emmett, that's not true." Carlisle responded. When it appeared that Emmett was confused, he continued. "We know a number of gay people. Alec, Alistair, and Vladimir are all gay and Kachiri is a lesbian. I also believe Aro considers himself bisexual of sorts and Caius will mate with anything."

"Whoa, how did I not know this?!" Emmett asked astounded.

"Because," Esme responded. "It's not any of our business to tell. If they didn't tell you, they must not have wanted you know."

"Embry Call is also gay." Bella injected. "And I kind of think Seth might be too but it's not my place to ask."

Before Emmett could respond, in the distance the sound of the front door opening forcefully could be heard. In an instant, 3 new vampires came rushing into the room, each on guard. As their golden eyes scanned the room, each one's gaze fell directly on me. My first instinct was to attack but I could see Carlisle standing from his chair and moving towards me defensively.

"What's going on?" Esme asked, looking at each of them. "We didn't expect you back so soon."

The only male amongst the 3 stepped forward. His expression was guarded but the instant he entered the room, I could feel a swell of emotion warring inside of me. It was a mixed feeling of giddiness, rage, and apprehension. He, like the rest of them was beautiful but that wasn't what drew my eyes to him. His entire body was covered in crescent shaped indentations which looked like teeth marks. They made him look powerful and dangerous but also haunting. He was wearing a fitted dark blue sweater that clung to his lean, muscular shape nicely. He had collar length golden blonde hair that looked slightly disheveled but somehow artfully so.

"Alice had a vision." He said, a southern drawl in his words. From my time in the South, I could hear that his accent wasn't southern and sounded closer to a Texan accent. "Or a lack thereof."

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked, his worried gaze sliding over to the shorter of the girls. She was also beautiful but in a slight, delicate way. Everything about her was tiny, from her height, to her impossibly thin waist. Her short black hair was cut in a pixie-cut style and spiked up the center. She was wearing red plaid pants tucked into black boots, a black sweater hanging gracefully over her small frame.

"You all vanished!" She said, her large eyes growing wider. "I was tracking you all, like I usually do but then all of a sudden, your future vanished. Most of you returned but Emmett, your future is being blocked permanently from me!"

Her gaze turned to Emmett who looked at her in confusion. "I don't know why!"

"Who is he?" The last girl said, a look of disgust on her face. She was absolutely gorgeous, so much so that I found it hard to look at her, almost like gazing into the sun. Everything about her from her golden hair to her golden eyes radiated light, everything except her expression. Her gaze was cold and calculating and I could see the words 'ice bitch' written all over her. She was dressed in a pair of tight dark blue jeans, and a fitted pale purple camisole top with small ruffles around the neck and waist. The makeup she wore only furthered to enhance her already devastating beauty and the red lipstick looked like blood on her pouted lips.

"Rosalie, be nice." Esme scolded.

"This is Akando." Emmett answered.

"What is he doing here?" She asked, eyeing me suspiciously. Gracefully, she moved over to Emmett, wrapping her arm around him and pulling him into her body. Instantly, I could feel her challenging gaze fall upon me.

"It's a long story." Carlisle interjected. "But he will be staying here for a while, which probably explains why Alice's visions became clouded. He's a shifter."

"Ugh, another one." Rosalie said disdainfully. "I was just getting over the mutt being here."

"Babe, stop it. It's my fault he's here in the first place." Emmett said, pecking Rosalie on the lips. When they pulled apart, Rosalie's gaze fell upon me and a sly smile spread across her beautiful face. Somehow she knew that I found Emmett attractive and I knew that was her way of staking her claim.

Looking at her directly, I purposely held her gaze before rolling my eyes. If she wanted a fight, she would get one. I'm not the type of person to break up someone's relationship but I'm also not the type to back down, especially from some vampire bitch.

"Good luck with that." Edward replied with a smirk, looking in my direction. Everyone else turned towards me, a question on their face but I merely shrugged and stood up from my chair.

"I'm gonna go to bed, I'm pretty exhausted." I said, directing my statement to Carlisle and Esme.

"Ok." Carlisle replied. "We'll fill in Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie on what you've told us and we'll come up with a game plan."

I nodded my head in the affirmative and turned towards Jasper and Alice. They were holding hands as they each nodded at me.

"It was nice meeting both of you. Alice?" I said turning towards the pixie. She looked up at me before smiling. "I'm sorry about the vision thing."

"It's really no problem, I was just worried." She said. "It just threw me off, y'know?"

I turned away from them and slowly made my way towards the rest of the house. When I reached the bottom of the long stair case, I raised my head slightly to the air and shouted.

"Hey Alice, great pants by the way!" I said with a smile.

As I ascended the stairs, I could hear Alice squeal gleefully in the kitchen.

"Oh, I like him!"

Seconds later, I could hear Edward and Rosalie reply.

"I don't!"

* * *

I was startled awake by a loud sound hitting the wall not far from me. When it happened again, I jumped out of bed, convinced we were being attacked by Exodus. But when the sounds of Rosalie moaning reached my ears, I settled back down. After several more minutes, I couldn't take it any longer. Throwing the sheets off of my body and climbing out of bed, I gave myself a long tentative stretch to gauge how well my body was. There was a little stiffness from disuse but otherwise I felt fine so I began stripping off my pajamas. I'm one of those people who feels more beautiful naked and standing in front of the huge windows in my room, the moonlight streaming through and illuminating every curve and muscle of my body made me feel the most beautiful I'd felt in a long time.

Undoing the latch and pushing one of the windows open, my senses were instantly alight with the rich, musky smells of nature- the strong pine needles, the wetness of dew, and the smell of winter around the corner all mingled together to create a symphony of smells. I inhaled a huge whiff of it before positioning myself on the ledge of the window. I slowly closed my eyes and launched myself into the night air, my body twisting and rippling mid-air, the feeling of fire racing through my veins and ripping my body apart. Like a bated breath finally finding it's release, my body heaved and melted, reforming itself into some bestial and primal as Ii shed my skin like a snake. The feeling of breaking bones and twisted cartilage no longer drew my attention and the change was over before it'd begun.

By the time my paws had hit the ground, I shot out into the forest, the crisp air blowing through my short fur. I could feel my paws digging into the wet forest floor, carving out a claim of my existence. Using my advanced sight, I was able to dip and twist to avoid the passing trees as they whizzed past my long body at breakneck speeds.

For a moment, I let my eyes drift close as I took in the world around me. There was a serenity about running in the middle of the night that had always made me feel grounded and centered as if I was a part of something bigger, a part of the Earth herself. As I languished in my own feelings of oneness, my body was instantly on alert as the sweet smell of vampire reached my nose. I could hear it closing in on me, trying to match my speed.

Soon I could hear it coming on to me in a blur of white. Catching a glimpse of it on my right, I angled my head slightly to see Emmett running next to me, a mad grin on his face. He was only wearing sweatpants and his black hair clung to his forehead, wet from the moisture of the night.

"Race you to the border!" He said over the rush of wind before taking off in front of me. I silently smiled, letting him get several feet ahead of me before turning on my real speed. I couldn't help but enjoy the view of Emmett's muscular back and high, firm ass running in front of me as I gained on him. Seeing what I assumed to be the border, a huge crevice separated by a river, up ahead I seized the opportunity to show Emmett who was faster.

Clinging to the trunk of the tree closest to me, I clawed my way up the tree, landing on a branch halfway up it. I could feel every muscle in my body tighten like a spring as I aimed myself towards the running vampire. Like a bullet shooting through the barrel of a gun, I propelled myself forward, angling my body to avoid the other branches and hurtling myself through the air. For a minute I felt as if I were flying.

Landing neatly in front of Emmett, just inches from the cliff, I let out a triumphant roar. Halting before me, Emmett's grin fell into a smirk, nodding his head approvingly.

"Ok, so you're fast? Maybe even faster than Edward, but don't tell him I said that." He said taking in my panther form. "You know, I can't read minds. How about phasing back?"

Slowly I let the change come over me and before long, I was human again. The change back was like pulling as much air into your lungs and holding it. It chilled me and made my heartbreak move like a piston as the familiar ache of humanity settled back into my new bones.

"Whoa!" Emmett said taking in my naked body before quickly turning away from me. "That's a little more than I cared to see."

"Aww don't tell me little Emmett is intimidated by a naked guy. What? Haven't seen one like this before?" I said jokingly.

"Oh please, you've got nothing on me!" He said turning back at me. He made it a point not to let his eyes stray past my face.

Gesturing towards a copse of trees we both sat down, me catching my breath while he stared out into the nothing.

"You know, I really like you." He said finally. "You say what's on your mind, you know how to take care of yourself, and you don't take shit from Rose and Edward, which is always a plus to me."

"Trust me, I know he's your brother and all, but Edward doesn't scare me." I said, lying down unto my back and gazing up at the stars.

"I don't know if he's so much trying to scare you as just letting you know he's watching you or something. You've got to understand. Edward is a new father and we recently almost lost everyone we love so he's just been overprotective."

"I understand that." I said as Emmett's massive form descended onto the ground next to me. "I do, but I'm not the enemy. I'm also not going to tuck my tail between my legs and bow to him either."

"And that's one of the things I like about you." He said, briefly turning towards me and smiling.

"So…you and Rosalie?" I inquired after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Yea." He chuckled. "We've been together for a long time. She saved my life and I owe her everything for that, but sometimes…"

When it appeared he wasn't going to continue, I probed him further.

"Sometimes?..."

"I don't know." He said finally, exhaling a breath that seemed to have been keeping him together. Suddenly he looked weary and confused. "I love her, I do, but sometimes I wonder if I'm only with her because she saved my life. It's just lately I don't know if I love her in the same way anymore. I look at Edward and Bella together and their love seems very codependent…almost obsessive. And then there's Alice and Jasper who seems more like best friends than husband and wife. And Carlisle and Esme is the perfect couple but there's no fire, no heat. Then I look at Rose and I and we're all fire. I don't know, I'm so turned on by her but I feel sometimes like that's all there is. I don't even know why I'm telling you this…"

When I reached out and touched his shoulder for support, he initially flinched at the touch but then he seemed to melt into it.

"You're so warm." He said as he closed his eyes and smiled. "It reminds me of when I was still human."

"Maybe it's easier to talk to me because I'm a stranger." I said pulling my hand away. I almost thought I heard him whimper but when I looked over at him he didn't appear to have a problem with it.

"Yea, I guess so." He replied, his eyes still closed. "It's just hard sometimes. I'm always surrounded by them and there are times I know I can't talk to them because they're too attached, y'know?"

"I do. You need someone detached from the situation, someone from the outside looking in. Someone who's not going to judge you."

"Exactly."

"Well, as an outsider, I can tell Rosalie loves you a lot but personally it looks like to me that she just likes to have you, if that makes any sense." I said honestly. Yea, I was attracted to him but I wasn't going to lie to him just to get him into bed and then take off when everything starts falling apart. Not my thing.

At first I thought I had offended him by saying so but then he finally replied.

"It does. You know, the only reason Rosalie changed me was because I reminded her of her best friend's son? I don't know man, maybe she needed someone to take care of or something. Maybe she needed someone to worship her."

We both sat in complete silence for a while, searching up at the stars for answers to questions none of us knew we had. Questions about love, loss, and liberties. Questions about others and questions about ourselves. Questions that would probably never be answered.

"Man, now I'm starting to sound like Edward!" He said suddenly, jumping up onto his bare feet. "Talking about my feelings and shit. Ok, time to do something less girly. Something masculine."

"Like what?" I said standing up. "Are we going to a strip club, smoke some cigars, and beat up some homos for looking at us the wrong way?"

"No, we're gonna wrestle. I'm gonna show you how strong I am." He replied with a mischievous smirk on his pink lips.

"Yea, cuz that's not gay at all." I mumbled. Suddenly I felt his huge, cold weight on top of me, pinning me face first into the dirt.

Suddenly in fight mode, I arched my back and allowed my body to glide into the mud, using it to slide my body through his legs and out from under him. Then I jumped on top of him, reversing our positions and pinning him to the ground. Suddenly his huge hands were around my wrists, propelling me over his head and off his back.

I was now on my back, looking up into the sky, when his weight pressed down onto me again, his face invading my vision. He had a satisfied look on his face which I was all too happy to get rid of. Angling my body slightly to the left, I wrapped my legs around his waist before flipping him over to his back, my body straddling him.

As I looked down at him under me, his eyes locked onto mine and like a force of gravity, I felt myself being pulled towards him. The astounded look he sported when I flipped him over was gone and now his face was slack, devoid of emotion. As I moved closer to his parted lips, my breath coming in quick bursts, I expected him to close the narrowing gap between our bodies. But he didn't. So, taking the initiative, I moved closer, our lips inches apart from connecting.

Abruptly, he shifted slightly and I was face to face with the forest floor. I could hear Emmett plowing through the forest, his heavy footsteps vibrating back at me on the ground.

"Race you back home!" His laughing, retreating voice shouted back at me.

* * *

When I pulled myself back into the room, my body sticky with sweat and pine oil, I headed straight for the bed. Throwing myself down onto the sheets, I let out a groan of exhaustion. In the solitude of the room, I now became acutely aware of just how tired I was. It was a weariness that seemed bone deep, seeped so far into my being that a nap would never fix it. I pretended to enjoy the life of a nomad but the truth was, I wanted roots.

Emmett had made it home well before I had and I could feel my eyes growing heavier with sleep. The sun was beginning to peek out from the mountains outside of my window, chasing away the blues of midnight and painting the skies in a canvas of purple, orange, and pink. The sight was breathtaking and the sun illuminated the storm clouds I didn't notice before in the darkness of the night.

As I pulled my body into itself, curling up atop the sheets, my eyes began to drift close and sleep dug its fierce talons into me, commanding me to sleep. As the haze of slumber settled over me, I was pulled back at the last moment by the buzzing of my phone, signaling to me that I had a text message. Only 2 people used this number.

With a groan, I reached over and procured the phone from the nightstand, staring at the tiny illuminated screen.

**From: UNKNOWN**

I knew exactly who it was and futilely I let out a silent prayer that for once it would be good news. Flipping the phone open and opening the message, the words echoed in my mind and sent a chill down my spine.

_"Barnabus is watching…"_

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Well I wanted to speed up the flirtation a little more without full on getting them together. I also added the forest scene because I wanted to show some depth in Emmett. I know the idea of him spilling his guts to Akando might be weird but they all are still living in the headspace that Akando is only going to be there temporarily and Emmett feels like he can't talk to Edward or Jasper about it because they'd only talk him out of it.

In the books/movies he's just a big, muscular goof ball so I wanted to show that he thinks and feels too. And also I wanted to show that he's more observant than any of them believe.

I've always felt that it was weird that Rosalie changed Em because he reminded her of that little boy and then she and Emmett have crazy sex. Rosalie's a pedophile! Lol.

This is the closest these two will get to hooking up for a while so don't say I didn't warn you if you're expecting them to jump into bed immediately. Because they're not. Sorry. Build up.

So far, I live where this story is going and I hope you do all do too. In the next chapter, we'll learn more about the Panther shifters and also a surprise guest. We'll also get to see what the Quileutes are up to.


	5. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

_Barnabus is watching…_

I lay in bed staring at the ceiling and listening to the light pattering of the rain outside. It had been heavier hours ago but had tapered off into something akin to the rhythmic tapping of music. But just like the rain outside, the emotions warring within me could become a raging storm at any moment. When I'd returned from the woods hours ago, I had every intention to come back and sleep but my mind refused to ignore the words of the text message firmly implanted in my mind, replaying themselves in an endless loop of torturous intent.

_Barnabus is watching…_

I could hear the Cullens moving around downstairs and the smell of Esme's breakfast was beginning to reach my nose but I needed a few more minutes of quiet contemplation before the reality of the situation invaded all of my time. I was also not afraid to admit that I was nervous to see Emmett again. I had made a complete fool of myself the night before when I'd tried to kiss him and I didn't know how the morning after would be. It would be a lot easier if I could hide out in this bedroom forever but the option wasn't mine.

_Barnabus is watching…_

Barnabus is watching. Barnabus.

Barnabus is one of Exodus' most important members. He's not only a skilled and deadly hunter but he's also the son to a descendent of the organization's founders. He's also the leader of Hosea's group and isn't known for his patience or his understanding. So the fact that he was watching me and not taking action meant he was smart enough to know he's outnumbered but not smart enough to back down. I didn't know what his next move would be but the uncertainty of the future made me feel uneasy. A part of me wanted to run; wanted to get as far away from the Cullens as possible. I wanted to protect them, my way of returning the favor for saving my life, but I knew that now that they were on Barnabus' radar, his unrelenting need to prove himself would override all logic and he would still hunt them. The hunt was his life and his life was the hunt.

With a weighted sigh, I threw the sheets off of my body and climbed out of bed, scrubbing my face with my hands in frustration. Wallowing would solve nothing. Climbing out of bed, I made my way to the bathroom. Stripping off my pajama bottoms, I climbed into the tempered glass of the shower stall. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary shower but as I glanced around the black obsidian tiles and gleaming sterling silver fixtures, the shower appeared a lot larger than I'd originally thought. There were 3 large showerheads and as I looked around, I could see no sign of the faucet handles. There was only a single computer screen fixed into the wall. As I moved my hand over the screen, it illuminated, asking for me to input my ideal temperature. When I pushed the appropriate buttons and pressed enter, the screen instantly changed and I was then asked for the type of shower I would like. Choosing 'Waterfall', the water began shooting from the heads instantly, cloaking me in a cascade of warm, lightly lavender-scented water.

I closed my eyes with a groan allowing the water to wash over me and erase my troubles. It had been a long time since I could enjoy a calming shower. Living on the streets meant that anytime I was able to wash had to be quick and efficient. Glancing over at the alcove in the wall, I grabbed the bottle in it and poured it into my hand. I didn't know whether it was body wash or shampoo but as I worked it into a lather and my senses became invaded by the smell of honey and vanilla, I didn't care. As I massaged the silky smooth mixture into my skin, I allowed myself to be carried away by my thoughts.

I wanted to talk to my sister but I knew that if Barnabus was truly watching me, it would put her life in danger and I'd worked hard to keep her out of this mess. We had always had a strong, intense connection, one that even distance hasn't broken. Sometimes I feel as if she's standing right next to me. The last time I talked to her, she told me about her new boyfriend and the impending night of prom. Ordinary memories that I would never have the opportunity to experience. We'd always avoided bringing up the subjects of my exile, my living arrangements, or our parents but I knew Anola was worried sick about me. It was the main reason I didn't call her often. Her worrying made me feel guilty and the guilt would slowly fester away at my emotional well-being.

Yanking myself from my reverie, I realized I'd been in the shower for some time. I quickly ran the wash into my hair before stepping out of the shower. Grabbing a towel from the rack next to the shower, I toweled off my wet body and headed towards the bedroom. I picked my bag up from the floor and searched for something to wear, careful not to disturb the other clothes that remained perfectly packed inside.

Deciding on a pair of black drop crotch pants and a plain white t-shirt, I pulled the items on and made my way to the bedside table, scooping up my phone. As I opened it and search for Anola's name, I hoped that a little time spent talking to her would help center me. Hitting 'SEND', I waited patiently as the phone rang. Seconds later, I threw the phone down in frustration when it went to voicemail.

I quickly braided my damp hair into two cornrows before opening the bedroom door and stepping out into the hallway. I was instantly assaulted by the smells of cinnamon, syrup, and bacon. It was then that my stomach decided to give a large growl.

Stepping into the kitchen, everyone looked to be in the midst of different activities. Esme was standing by the stove, making breakfast. She was wearing a fitted deep purple dress, an apron covering the front of it, and her hair was pulled up into a bun. Alice and Jasper were cuddled on the couch in the adjoining sitting room, engrossed in something on television but the volume was so low someone without advanced hearing couldn't possibly hear it. Carlisle, Bella, and Edward were nowhere to be found. I assumed Bella and Edward were at their own house, following each other from room to room just staring at each other or whatever it is they did in the silence of their codependence. Emmett appeared to be teaching Rosalie how to play chess but the look on her beautiful face betrayed that she was uninterested in the subject at hand. I couldn't blame her.

When I entered, I couldn't help but be fascinated by Emmett. The way the slightest movement caused his bicep to flex underneath his marble skin. The way his full, pink lips would widen to reveal deadly teeth when he would smiled. The dimples that punctured his cheeks when he said something he thought was funny. I was instantly taken aback by how strongly I was beginning to feel for someone I had just met days ago. It was insane.

But all thoughts of my own self-destructive insanity fled my mind when he looked up at me, his amber eyes meeting my brown ones, and smiled. I could feel my face heat up and my heart pounding as he walked towards me, a cocky grin on his face. I instantly became nervous, partly because I found him so attractive and partly because I didn't know how he'd react about the kiss. He'd either make a show out of it or ignore it completely. I prayed to the heavens, it would be the latter. Wrapping his huge arm around my shoulders and nudging me playfully, I glanced over at Rosalie who looked less than pleased. That made me happy.

"Interesting." Jasper said, breaking Rosalie and mine's staring contest as he glanced between Emmett and I. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, I quickly jerked out of Emmett's embrace and walked over to Esme.

"Hey Esme! What's cooking?" I asked, peering over her shoulder. I began to notice that over time, I didn't find the smell of vampire quite as offensive as I did before. It still caused my nose to burn and my throat to close but the feeling was less uncomfortable as it had been before.

"I'm making French toast, bacon, and eggs." She replied with a smile. "How do you like your eggs?"

"Scrambled." I said as I walked over to the chair next to Alice and Jasper, pointedly trying to avoid eye contact with Emmett. He made me feel like some weak, hormonal, teenage girl and I hated feeling this way. "So where's Carlisle?"

"At the hospital." Alice replied. She was wearing a fitted, long sleeved black dress that reached the middle of her calves, a pair of chunky doc martens, and a large silver necklace with a crest on it. Her hair was combed flat today, probably to compliment the dangly turquoise earrings dripping from her ears.

"Well, I would rather have told you guys this when he was here, but it can't wait." I said to the room.

"What is it?" Emmett asked, coming over to the sitting area and plopping down in the seat next to me.

"I got a text message from a source of mine who always warns me when Exodus is near." I replied, still avoiding his gaze. "And he told me that Barnabus is watching me."

"Who's Barnabus?" Jasper asked.

"And who's this source?" Emmett interjected.

"Barnabus is next in line to run Exodus and he's also the field commander of Hosea's team. And I don't know who the source is." I replied.

"So, you just follow the orders of someone you've never met?" Emmett said. I could tell by his tone that he was getting upset. "That's reckless and it could get you hurt!"

Suddenly my own angry began to flare. "I'm aware of that Emmett but the last time I chose to ignore his advice, I almost got myself killed. He hasn't steered me in the wrong direction yet so for right now, I'm just grateful."

"Ok, but you also have no clue how he's getting this information. For all you know, it could be Barnabus using the texts as a way to get a thrill out of the hunt or whatever."

"You're right." I sighed. He was right. I had always known that blindly following text messages was stupid but when you live a life where you can't trust anybody, it's always nice when you're proven that there are people you can trust. And honestly, I didn't even know why I listened to the mystery texter but all of my instincts screamed at me to trust him and I always followed my instincts. Suddenly, a wave of calm washed over me and I felt myself relaxing into Emmett's cold body. When I became aware that I was basically nuzzling him, (something he didn't seem opposed to) I quickly pulled away, my face turning beet red.

"What the hell was that?!" I shouted.

"Sorry about that, it was me." Jasper replied.

"How did you do that?"

"I guess the same way Edward can read minds and Alice can see the future."

"Until I met you, I didn't know vampires could have special abilities." I said to Jasper. Sitting next to Alice, you would never guess that they belonged together. Whereas Alice's outfit was chic and a bit over the top, Jasper was dressed plainly in a grey t-shirt and blue jeans. The shirt did well to highlight his lean muscles and as I appraised him, the thought came into my mind that given the chance, I wouldn't mind spending a few hours alone with him.

"Are we the first vampires you've met?" Alice asked, repositioning herself to angle her body towards me and disentangling herself from Jasper.

"No," I replied. "I've met other vampires but they could never do anything out of the ordinary." Turning towards Emmett, I asked. "Can you do anything special?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he replied cheekily with a wink. When he saw that his joke was unappreciated, he continued. "No, but Carlisle believes my strength is my 'special gift'. I'm the strongest in this coven."

I snorted before responding. "Then how come I mopped the floor with your ass last night?"

"Oh did you?" He smirked. I could find myself really liking that smirk. "Then how about a rematch tough guy?"

"You're on!" I replied standing from my seat.

"Not before breakfast!" Esme shouted as she carried a plate laden with food towards the dining room table. As if on cue, my stomach rumbled loudly, causing Alice to chuckle.

I made my way over to the table and greedily began devouring the food. It was absolutely amazing. Like Heaven on Earth. The fact that a vampire had made it, amazed me even more. It tasted better than anything I'd ever eaten at a restaurant and twice as good as anything my mother had ever made.

"Where's Rosalie?" Emmett asked glancing around the kitchen.

"Oh she left." Alice replied.

"And she didn't look very happy." Jasper added.

"Does she ever look happy?" I mumbled, my mouth full of food. It was so good; it surprised me when I realized that I'd eaten it all. When I full groan, I pushed the plate away. "Thank you, Esme. Amazing as usual!"

"You're very welcome." She replied happily.

"Ok, hotshot!" Emmett said standing over me, his hands on his hips. His ever-present smirk on his face. "Time to put your money where your big mouth is!"

* * *

Emmett and I stood on opposite ends of the forest clearing, staring intently at each other, a challenging glint in his golden eyes. We stood about 6 feet away from each other, both poised like two cowboys in an old Western movie. I'd changed my shirt and was now wearing a tank top and my shoes lay abandoned on the house's porch. Emmett was wearing a fitted white t-shirt that looked as if it would be torn to shreds if he flexed and a pair of tight grey sweatpants. Unlike me, he wasn't barefoot but wearing a pair of sneakers that looked like they'd never seen a speck of dirt.

"Ok, the rules are simple. No phasing and no fighting dirty." He said looking at me knowingly.

"Fine." I replied crossing my arms across my chest.

"Ok." He continued. "On the count of three."

"One." I closed my eyes and focused on my surroundings.

"Two." I inhaled deeply, drawing my power into myself and allowing feelings of calm and serenity to wash over me. Crouching down, I palmed the moist earth underneath my hands as if it would give me extra strength.

"Three!" My eyes flew open and my body shot forward, colliding with Emmett's enormous mass like two boulders smashing into one another. Instantly he reached out, his large hands wrapping around my throat and lifting me from my feet. Using the height to my advantage, I allowed my feet to swing forward as I wrapped my legs around Emmett's chest and using all my strength, flipped him onto his back. As fast as lightning, I was on my feet in an instant but so was he. With a wicked grin, he lunged at me again but this time I was prepared. Turning quickly, I ran in the opposite direction, his footsteps making the slightest of noises as he raced behind me.

"So now you're running." He said, his voice closer than I anticipated. "Don't make this too easy!"

Seeing my opportunity ahead of me in the form of a tree, I propelled myself forward, climbing quickly up the tree before flipping over him as his body collided with the tree, knocking him on his back and splitting the huge pine in half.

Looking down at his sprawled body, I smiled down at him. "Don't make it too easy."

Before I knew what was happening, he was up again. Kicking his foot out at the speed of light at my own feet, I suddenly saw the world pitching back as my body flipped through the air. Using my instincts to my advantage, I twisted mid-air, instantly righting myself before landing neatly on my feet.

Before I could prepare myself for his counterattack, something flashed on my right side and suddenly the sound of crashing tree echoed throughout the forest as an enormous russet colored wolf shot from the brush and flew headlong into me, knocking me on my back. I could feel the heat emanating from its body as it firmly held me down, pushing me into the mud underneath me.

"No Jacob!" I could hear Emmett cry but it appeared as if the wolf was ignoring him.

With all of his huge weight pressing down on me, it was hard to move. Finally able to maneuver around him, I bunched my legs up under his torso and kicked up, sending his body flying over my head. As I crawled to my feet, the wolf was back on his snarling at me and ready to attack. Staring back, I let my eyes phase and accept the challenge, a growl of my own reverberating through my body.

As we both charged at each other, suddenly Emmett's back was in front of me and the wolf was being thrown several feet in front of us.

"Jacob, I said stop!" Emmett said, standing protectively in front of me. "He's a friend!"

Jacob climbed onto his feet, shaking the leaves and twigs from his fur as a ripple ran through his body and he began to morph. Slowly the russet colored wolf became a naked russet skinned boy. He was tall and attractive with short dark hair and a very muscular body. As my eyes raked over his form, I couldn't help notice the nice piece of meat he had between his legs.

"I thought he was trying to kill you." Jacob said, eyeing me from behind Emmett.

"No, we were just playing." Emmett responded, stepping away from me and towards the boy. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Please." He scoffed. "It would take a lot more than that to hurt me."

"What are you even doing out here?" Emmett asked, walking back in the direction of the house.

"I just dropped Nessie off at the cottage when I smelled something weird. I tracked the smell back here where I found you and him…who are you?" Jacob asked, halting in his stride.

"Akando and that's all you need to know." I responded. I was so sick of everyone in this house trying to intimidate me. When would they realize they don't scare me?

"Whatever. By the way…you stink." He replied, walking past me.

Ignoring the fact he had an amazing ass, I strode behind him, anger rising within me. I wasn't generally an angry person but lately, these people had found a way to piss me off.

"You don't smell like roses either Fido." I responded. Actually, he didn't smell bad at all but the smell was also too strong to be considered pleasant. It was strong and earthy like musk, sweat, and something heady and woodsy. He smelled like Nature.

"What did you just call me?" He asked, turning on me.

"Which part Cujo? The part where I said you smell like shit? Or the part where I put you in your rightful place, dog?" I replied casually.

At first I thought he was going to attack me but he simply snarled and phased. He was off in a flash, back in the direction of the house.

"Do you really have to be so confrontational?" Emmett smirked when Jacob was out of earshot.

"You're one to talk!" I responded jokingly. "You did try to kill me."

"Are you ever going to let that go?"

"Nope."

We strode in comfortable silence until we reached the house where Jacob was dressed and waiting impatiently for us.

"So what the hell are you?" He asked when we'd finally made it onto the porch. "You smell like a wolf but different."

"What I am is none of your goddamn business." I replied flippantly. "And don't ever call me a wolf. It's insulting."

For a moment, his eyes flashed and I could see that I was getting to him. Internally I smiled at how easy Jacob was at getting a reaction.

"Look. Alice told me the gist of the story so as a guest here, I'm not going to fight you but keep pushing my buttons and-" He started.

"And what?" I said challengingly. "You're going to give me fleas and bark your little heart out."

Before things got out of hand, Emmett stepped in front of us, both of glaring at each other. "Ok guys stop it, both of you." Glancing at the two of us with a smile. "Although I am kind of enjoying this."

"Tell that to him." Jacob said, cutting his eyes in my direction.

"I'm telling it to both of you." Emmett responded. "Now do we have an agreement that you'll both play nice?"

Reluctantly we both nodded.

"Good." Emmett said. "Cuz it was starting to itch being the responsible one. I swear I'm allergic to it."

As Emmett and Jacob walked into the house, I realized I'd begun to care about him. And not just him. I really liked Carlisle and Esme. I didn't know much about Alice and Jasper, but what I had seen, I liked. I don't think Edward and I would ever like each and I was positive Rosalie would hate me forever and unsurprisingly, I didn't have a problem with that. But as I made my way up the stairs, it started to hit me that when this was all over, I would have to leave all of this behind and I would be back on the streets.

Alone.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

So I have to constantly stop myself from basically making Emmett and Akando a couple like right now but I have to remind myself it's only been 2 days! Lol. So now that I've introduced the people he'll have the most contact with, the next chapter is going to skip ahead in time just a little.

I know I said we'd meet the other wolves in this chapter but it just makes more sense chronologically if I add it in the next chapter so that'll be the chapter Akando meets the Quileutes and we learn about the history of the Panther shifters.

Also, someone asked me about why I chose the title "The Blue Hour." Well initially when I first started the story and he was supposed to be with Jasper it was titled "The Innocent Mansion" from a quote by Allen Tate about a panther's heart. Jasper can control emotions, emotions come from the heart… But then when I paired him with Emmett, I wanted to follow the thread and give it a title that referenced space, time, and the cosmos like the regular saga but everything I came up with fit more for a story about wolves. So I finally chose The Blue Hour which is a twilight time in the morning and evening when it's neither full daylight nor complete darkness. All of the most important times in his life will happen around or during this hour. I've already referenced it twice- when he left home, and when he kissed Emmett. Although now that I think about it, I should have named it "Horizon" or something…oh well.

Finally, in my version Alice dresses a little edgier. I feel like all of the Cullens dress like an L.L. Bean catalogue and I wanted to give one of them some edge so I chose Alice cuz I love her and she was in a mental institution which makes her badass.


	6. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Days passed and before I knew it, a week had gone by and everyone in the Cullen house waited in anticipation for a battle that never came. Every night it was the same thing- one of the vampires would guard the house for 5 hours, and they would rotate throughout the day. Ever since I told them about the mystery text, everyone was one high alert. Jacob and I were never allowed to patrol as the Cullens constantly reminded us that we needed to be at the top of our game so we needed to stay rested. It touched me to know that they were going through so much trouble to protect me. The thought had crossed my mind many times that they weren't so much doing this for me but for their family and I'm not ashamed to say that the thought sent a painful spike through my heart. Regardless of this, I found myself growing closer to the vampires.

When we weren't wrestling, watching cheesy horror films, or challenging each other to one competition or another, Emmett and I had grown inseparable. We stayed up late at night, talking about our thoughts and memories but I could tell there were things too painful for even Emmett to talk about and I don't blame him. There were still a lot of things that I hadn't talked to him about and just because I found myself attracted to him more than I ever have with anyone else, didn't mean I would go spilling my guts to him. I'd hoped that with time, my feelings for him would have diminished to friendship but with every passing day, I found myself more attracted to him. Everything he did was hypnotizing to me, from the way he bit his lip when he concentrated too hard or the way his eyebrows furrowed when he was bluffing in poker. All of these things made me want him even more and made it harder to pull away from him.

But with the warm embrace of hospitality, deadly tension could be found in every dark corner of the house. Jacob and I had established a mutually reluctant truce of sorts. We'd promised not to kill each other and keep the arguing to a minimum. With each day that passed, Rosalie's contempt towards me grew more fervent. The more time Emmett and spent together, the more I could feel her rage rolling off her body like heat on hot pavement.

My animosity for Edward had been stifled only by the fact that he ignored me completely. His suspicious glances and biting remarks were replaced by utter silence as if I didn't exist at all. This was fine with me. Bella, on the other hand seemed to go out of her way to be nice to me as if she could be nice enough for the both of them. Their daughter Renesmee at first regarded me with curiosity but slowly she too started to like me. Edward tried to keep her as far away from me as possible but with some chiding from Bella, he relented to let her talk to me, but never unsupervised.

Alice and I had grown to be rather close as well in the preceding week. We both had a love of fashion and irritating Edward. She told me about her life and her time in the mental institution and in return, I never judged her. She confessed to me one day while we pretended to watch an awful straight to TV movie that a part of her is uncomfortable around me. It shocked me to hear her say that as our relationship seemed close but she went on to clarify that the part of me that made her uncomfortable was the part that blocked me from her visions. She said she didn't like not knowing what was going to happen, something that had become such a part of her that it was second nature. She told me it was as if I'd cut off her arm. Jasper and I had also gotten to know each other in between the minutes we waited for Alice to step out of the dressing room whenever we went shopping.

Esme and Carlisle had slowly become like parents to me. They watched over me and took care of me as if I were one of their own. Esme had surprisingly gotten even better at cooking with every new cookbook she bought. She'd moved from classic meals to preparing me exotic treasures from all over the world. This would inevitably irritate Jacob whose palette was less sophisticated. Carlisle would constantly urge me to change the room I was staying in to my liking, probably in an effort to make me feel more at home but his urging only furthered in making me feel less at home. It constantly reminded me that one day I wouldn't be here anymore. Their actions were done with the best of intentions but served to make it harder and harder for me to have the strength to leave when the time came.

I was finally able to talk to Anola and she filled me in on the things that had been going on with her life. Things I would miss. Things I could only imagine when I looked back at the photographs years later. We reminisced about times passed and she cried when we toed the border of my parental abandonment. Being in the Cullen house had made me miss my family even more and with Christmas only a month away, I knew it would be a hard time for me.

I had awoken to find my eyes assaulted by the sight of early morning light bouncing off the pristine white of the snow that had blanketed the forest overnight. The sight of snow always excited me and as I inhaled a whiff of the air, I could practically smell winter in the air. Growing up in Florida, I had never seen snow before but while on the streets, I had grown accustomed to seeing it. The last time it snowed, I was still with Hosea.

We had taken some time off to go to Chicago late one October day. When we arrived, we'd found the city covered in snow and winds so strong, I thought they would sweep me off my feet. We had been dating for 6 months and already I had found myself in love with him. Everything about him filled me with a sense of contentment for a life that I'd wanted to remain forever. So now, every time I saw snow, I thought of Hosea and what we had together.

Climbing from underneath the lush comforter on my bed, I walked towards the window and threw it open, letting in strong frigid winds and the smell of the forest, no less washed out from the cover of frost lying atop it. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, letting the cool wind brush against my too-hot flesh, making my skin erupt in goose bumps. The chill air along my skin reminded me of the times Emmett would brush up against me. I could feel the frozen air enter my lungs and revitalize me. The 'Exodus situation' had left me emotionally drained and internally exhausted to the point that sometimes I didn't want to leave bed. But with the new weather came a new attitude. It had been some time ago since I felt truly happy but for some reason, I felt the warm embrace of joy and an excitement that I couldn't explain.

I looked down at the snow below me, at the faint footprints left in it from whoever had been on patrol hours ago. I turned from the window and sat on my bed, debating whether or not to open the bedroom door and greet the day. The decision was made for me when a small knock sounded through the room.

"Come on!" I said into the air. I knew whoever was at the door could hear me, so I didn't have to scream to be heard.

"Hey pussy!" Jacob said, using the 'pet name' he'd gleefully adopted for me. Today he was in a pair of fitted jeans and a black and red baseball tee.

"Hey bitch!" I responded with my own. I was instantly assaulted with his scent, something I found I couldn't get used to the same way I could with the vamps smell.

"I need to ask you something." He said, plopping down onto my bed. I looked at the spot where he sat with disgust. I would have to wash my sheets now. The look on his face told me he knew exactly what he was doing.

"What is it mutt?"

"Well, when I told my tribe about you, my elders said they wanted to meet you?"

"Why?" I asked suspiciously. We may be on amicable terms but I still didn't trust Jacob as far as I could throw him. And I would relish the opportunity to see just how far I could throw him.

"They're curious." He responded, falling back onto the blankets, rubbing more of his vile smell into them. "Until I met you, we didn't know other types of shifters existed. They just want to ask you a few questions."

I gazed at Jacob, wondering if he had some kind of ulterior motive but looking into his face I could see that he was being genuine. "Fine. When?"

"Tonight." He replied pushing himself out of my bed. "We have a tribe meeting tonight so everyone will be there. You can meet mine and Sam's packs."

"Oh joy!" I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "Just what I need…a trip to the dog kennel."

* * *

I stood on the gravel road, glancing at the horizon. The sun had set a half hour ago and the sky was turning a rich indigo. Nighttime would soon be upon us and the temperature would drop. To my far left, in the distance, I could see the reservation Jacob had grown up on. The tiny houses were spaced far enough away from each other to allow the residents' personal space but close enough that it was obvious it was a tight knit community. To the right, I could see a huge circle of people sitting around a large bonfire. The circle was situated on the shore of a large beach with large black cliffs looming in the distance. They were far enough away from the water that the tide never entered their intimate space. Even from this distance, I could smell the aroma of food cooking and the raucous sounds of laughter. The scene reminded me of the times my mother would take Anola and me to the reservation where she and my father grew up. He would never come to any of the meetings but never argued when she would insist on taking us. Anola seemed to relish the opportunity to meet other Native girls but for me, the experience was always detached from me. It wasn't until later that I realized it was probably because of my shifter genes that made it difficult for me to be in such a close proximity to the other shifters.

"Now I'm going to have to get my car detailed!" Edward grumbled. He was behind me standing next to his car but even with the distance, I could hear him perfectly. "It smells like _that_ beast." He said this gesturing in my direction.

Even though the Cullens had helped save the wolves and the people of Forks numerous times, their treaty with the Quileute people was still a touchy subject. Since Jacob imprinted on Renesmee, she was allowed to come and go as she pleased and as her parents, Edward and Bella were free to enter their territory but when it came to the other vampires, the treaty still held firm. The thought of being here without Emmett made me uncomfortable. I had begun to rely on him not only as a friend, but a protector and guide, something I couldn't do with anyone else. I had found myself letting down my guard with him the more we shared.

"Edward, stop it!" Bella replied angrily. They continued bickering for several seconds but I tuned them out, concentrating on Jacob who was standing next to me talking.

"…and that's why you can't mention you being a shifter until after everyone else go home. The tribe doesn't know about any of that." He said. He'd put on a thick navy sweater with a shawl collar.

"Your tribe has a lot of secrets." I said, pulling my eyes away from the assembly. I could smell the overpowering scent of the wolves even from a distance and it nearly made me gag.

"We have our secrets to keep our people safe." He responded defensively.

"You can keep the tribe safe without lying to everyone." I said calmly. "In my tribe, a new shifter was a celebration. A role that meant high respect amongst our people, not some shameful secret. Having it out in the open helps new shifters acclimate to the change as it's not this weird thing that they knew nothing about."

Before Jacob could respond, Renesmee came bounding up to him, demanding he pick her up. Bending over, he hefted the small child into his arms as her parents joined us.

"Let's go." Jacob said curtly, walking towards the bonfire. As we drew closer, the smell of burning meat made my stomach rumble loudly.

"Hey Bella!" A tall almost gangly boy shouted, running over to them. He had sparkling brown eyes, short black hair, and deep russet skin.

"Hi Seth!" Bella replied. Soon, they were surrounded by a group of tall muscular men, a chorus of greetings happily issued to Bella, Edward and Renesmee.

"Who's this?" One of them asked. He was nearly as tall as Jacob but his muscles were a little leaner. Like the others, he had russet skin and short black hair.

"This is Akando." Jacob replied meeting the eyes of the others. "He's a friend of the Cullens. Billy invited him because there's some things he's going to tell us."

"I'm Embry Call." The boy said with a smirk. Instantly I was struck with a sense of familiarity. The boy was really cute and I found myself gazing deeply into his dark eyes. It was then I remembered where I'd heard the name before. Embry Call. He's the one Bella said was gay. "Jacob told me about you."

"It's nice to meet you." I said, smiling back at him. I could see his eyes appraise me quickly before bringing them back to my eyes. "I'm sure if Jacob told you about me, it was nothing nice."

"You'd be surprised." He said, flashing me a million watt smile.

"Join us over by the fire!" A deep voice sounded from behind them.

They all turned away and made their way to the bonfire. The sky had grown even darker and out here, the twinkling stars shone bright, like tiny spotlights in the sky. I looked around at the tribe. Some of them openly looked at me in curiosity while others held a gaze of suspicion. Looking at the seats I realized the only place left to sit was right next to Embry. As I made my way towards him, he paused mid-sentence from the conversation he was having with another boy and smiled as he looked over at me. When I sat down, he turned and finished the conversation before turning his attention back on me.

"So…are you hungry?" He asked shyly. Now that it was just the two of us, he seemed different. Almost nervous.

"A little." I replied. I could feel the intense heat of his leg rubbing against mine as he leaned over and took a hamburger from another boy. The heat and friction sent a shock through my system that went straight through me and into my crotch. As he handed me the hamburger, I could feel myself stiffen in my jeans and I knew I was probably blushing.

Several minutes passed and soon all the conversations slowly tapered off until there was a heavy silence drifting across the flames. A cool breeze had begun working its way over the frigid waves of the ocean and the gathered people were feeling the effects. Some snuggled closely with loved ones while others wrapped thick blankets across their shoulders and moving closer to the fire, seeking whatever form of solace they could find.

"First, I would like to welcome our visitor tonight." A man said. I assumed it was Billy Black, Jacob's father, by his description. His deep voice held within it authority but there was also something gentle and caring about it. I waved nervously as all eyes turned towards me. "Everyone, this is Akando Kohana. He hails from the Seminole Tribe of the south in Florida. Treat him as we treat all of our guests."

I quickly glanced over towards Bella and Edward, locked in each other's embrace. Bella offered a comforting smile while Edward scowled and looked away. Embry leaned into me and whispered softly.

"Don't be nervous. We don't bite…well some of us do." He said cheekily before winking at me. Again I could feel the heat rise up to my face, painting my tan skin pink. I didn't know why Embry was having this effect on me but I found myself wanting to ravish his thick, pink lips.

"Akando." Billy continued, looking directly at me. "I've asked Jacob to bring you here because I was hoping you would be able to regale us with some of your tribe's legends. Aside from our neighbors, the Makah, we don't know much about other tribes."

Looking at all the curious, hopeful eyes I knew that I wanted to share some history with them. What little Bella had told me about Jacob's tribe, I knew that I could be the only chance many of them would ever have to experience something outside of their small community. Standing up, I searched the faces of the Quileutes.

"Just as yours does, my tribe has a legend that has been carried throughout the generations." I said, my voice carrying in the wind for all to hear. "But while this is a tribe built on the backs of wolves, my tribe was made by the cunning of panthers. The panther goes by many names- the cougar, the mountain lion, the catamount, and the puma. But they are all one in the same."

I paused for a second to collect my thoughts. So many of our legends are steeped with other tales that intertwine with each other to create a tapestry of our history so picking just one would be difficult. Taking a deep breath, I continued.

"I suppose I should start at the very beginning to a time before the creation of man. When Grandfather, the creator, made the Earth there were many things he wanted to put on it. His favorite though was _Coo-wah-chobee_, the Panther, who sat at the foot of his throne as Grandfather stroked his fur. What the Panther didn't know was that Grandfather's touch could bestow the power to heal and he passed this on to the Panther."

"When he'd finished creating the Earth, he told the Panther 'I want you to be the first to walk on the Earth.' Soon, he'd finished creating the things that would be put on the Earth; animals of all shapes and sizes and he locked them all away in a large shell, including the Panther, and placed them on the backbone of the Earth. 'One day, you will all break free from this shell and take your places on Earth.' Grandfather said as he left."

"Times passed. So much time passed that a great tree grew around the shell. The tree grew so large, its roots encircled the shell and began to crack it. But the Panther was too patient and instead of breaking free, it waited. The Wind, knowing of the Grandfather's last wish, knew the Panther wouldn't act and would jeopardize the wish of the Creator so the Wind entered the shell and worked to make the crack bigger. Finally, when the crack was big enough, the Winds pulled the Panther from the shell and placed it on the Earth. Soon after, all the other animals followed and sought their place in the world."

"But Grandfather never stopped watching his creations and when the animals were free, he told Panther: 'Your Clan will have the knowledge necessary for making laws and for making the medicine which heals. You, the Panther, will be in possession of all knowledge of different things. The Panther will have the power to heal different ailments and to enhance mental powers.' And from there each animal was given a task to perform to allow the Earth to flourish and grow. Grandfather's favorites were given positions of power as gods and clan leaders. After the clans were decided, the Creator thought that now was the time to create Man, whose job it was to honor and praise their clan leaders. My tribe is said to have been the only tribe under the direct leadership of the Panther and with this, the Panther bestowed upon his people a great power. He gave them the power of the Spirit Warriors."

I took a breath and gazed at all the listeners. I hadn't realized before but they all seemed engrossed in the story. When it appeared I wouldn't continue, a small boy raised his hand eagerly.

"Yes?" I asked.

"What happened after that?!" He asked. The others nodded their heads in agreement and I knew the story couldn't end there. I took another deep breath and held the gaze of everyone congregated there. I wanted to draw them into my world; a world not that different from their own but one that would seem new and exciting to them.

"The men of the Panther Clan thrived above all the others under the guidance of the Great Panther Chief." I said, my voice taking on a tone of reverence. "He taught the men of his clan how to hunt, fight, and build life, while he taught the women how to use the earth to flourish life, walk with the spirits, and use this power to heal."

"As the Panther Chief began growing older and weaker, he told his people, 'for honoring me, my sons shall honor you. When you need us, we will sacrifice for you.' and soon after, the Panther Chief died. Generations past and the Panther Clan grew and flourished under the guidance of the Panther Chief's sons and the leadership of the human chief and peace ruled the land. But like many things, this did not last. Soon a war with the Eagle Tribe caused the men of the Panther Tribe to take up arms. While the men fought and were injured, the women were always there in Spirit Form to heal them. But one defiant girl, Alsoomse, felt that she was as strong as any man in the tribe. She felt that with the power the Panther's gave her, she wanted to do more than heal, and she wanted to fight. So she left her body and joined the fight in her Spirit Form, healing many of the fallen warriors and using her offensive spirit powers to help them win."

"But the human chief's son saw this defiance in her and feared she would try to challenge him for leadership so he found her body and killed it so she could never return to it. When her mother entered their home and saw her daughter's dead body, she screamed out and went to heal her but before she could leave her body, the chief's son killed her as well. Hearing his wife's screams, Alsoomse's father ran to their home, finding the dead bodies of his wife and child. He grabbed his knife and fought the chief's son but being younger and more skilled, he overtook Alsoomse's father and killed him too."

"When Alsoomse's body died, she felt it deep within her soul and quickly returned home to find her body dead and her family too. When she questioned what happened, no one knew. But the Panther's assured her that if anyone would know, the Winds would. The chief's son was adamant that she shouldn't do this but she ignored his warning and ran to the woods late one night. When Alsoomse consulted the Winds, they told her of what the chief's son had done and she was furious."

"Filled with rage, she pled with the Panther's to help her avenge her family. At first they denied her, saying vengeance was never the answer but the girl reminded them of the promise their grandfather had made. 'But that promise was made to the **men** of the village' the new arrogant Panther Chief said. 'You are but a woman!'"

"The oldest girl of the Panther's children, whose line of leadership was denied because she was a woman, saw the injustice done to Alsoomse and felt that they were kindred spirits. So the Panther girl allowed Alsoomse to use her body to avenge her family but when Alsoomse entered the Panther's body, her rage made the beast shuddered and transformed them into a woman that looked like Alsoomse's Spirit Form."

"When she went to confront the chief's son, Alsoomse found she couldn't kill him and left him to the Panthers. The Panther's exiled him from the village and as payment, the human chief allowed Alsoomse to marry his second eldest son. And together they had many children but three of their daughters discovered they too could become Panthers."

"As time passed and the Panthers felt they had taught man everything they could, they left never to return again. As wars became fewer, the women of the village abandoned their healing abilities (with the exception of the Panther women) and the people learned to live without the power. And that's the story of my tribe."

* * *

"So, tell us more about the Panther women." One of the muscular wolf boys asked in a deep, commanding voice. It had grown late in the night and most of the tribes people had gone home. The only people left were those 'in the know'- Edward, Bella, Renesmee, and the wolf shifters. The one who'd spoken was enormous, his body bigger than all the rest. I could tell by his air of authority that he was probably the other Alpha Jacob had told me about, Sam Uley.

"There's not much more to tell really." I said. "For centuries, every generation 3 women from my village are chosen to be gifted with the ability to phase."

"Wait, so if only women can turn into panthers, how can you phase?" The young one, Seth asked. His eyes constantly sparkled with untapped curiosity and mischief that instantly made you smile.

It was a fair question. I had asked myself the same question over and over again for the last 2 years. Why could I phase? I was the first man in my tribe to ever phase into a panther. I used to feel like just by living, I was shaking the foundations of my tribe's traditions and if I were to be honest to myself, I probably would've left anyway.

"Good question…Seth right?" He eagerly shook his head with a smile. "I don't know. I've tried to find out on my own but that's hard to do without the support of my tribe."

"Yea, Jacob told us about that. That sucks that your parents did that, like you can control the change or something." One of the other boys said. I'd learned earlier his name was Quil. He was a little stockier than some of the other wolves but he had a childish, almost impish face.

"Thanks Quil." I responded. I didn't mind that Jacob had told them my life story. Really, it made it easier. It meant I didn't have to rehash all of that in front of them.

"So, you're an Alpha?" One of the other big ones asked. I think he said his name was Paul.

"No," I replied. "We don't have an Alpha."

"So how can you have a pack if there's no Alpha?" Sam asked.

"We don't have packs either." At this, all of the wolf boys looked at me with open surprise and curiosity. "Panthers aren't like wolves, we're not pack animals."

"So, you don't have to obey an Alpha?"

"You don't hear the others in your head?"

"You can basically do whatever you want?"  
The questions were fired at me quicker than I could answer them.

"No, I don't have to obey an Alpha and I don't hear anyone in my head. The tribe still relies on us so our Elders prefer if we stay close to home but we're not by any means bound to the reservation. There's not as much of a threat where I'm from as there is here."

"So no vampires?" Jared asked.

"Not really." I replied. "Occasionally we'll encounter one but I live in Florida. There's a lot of sunshine so they avoid it for the most part."

"Have you imprinted yet?" Leah asked. It was the first time during the night that she'd directly spoken to me. From her interactions with the others, she seemed gruff and almost angry but there was vulnerability in her question.

"Imprinting?" I asked with confusion. But then I remembered. "Oh yea, Jacob told me about that! No, I haven't imprinted. As a matter of fact, I didn't even know what that was until I met Jacob."

"What?!" Leah exclaimed.

"Yea, I was surprised too." Jacob said, Renesmee asleep in his arms. "Apparently panthers don't imprint."

"And from what Jacob's told me about it, I'm glad we don't." I said.

"Why not?!" Quil asked. "It's like the best feeling in the world. Don't you want to find your soul mate?"

"Of course I do." I replied. "But love is about trial and error and making mistakes. Imprinting takes that away from you. One of the best things about love is fucking up royally. It's about that heart racing rush of figuring out if that person is perfect for you. It's all about questioning them and yourself. It's about seizing those special moments, not because your genes tell you to but because it's what you truly want. Love is about choice and imprinting doesn't give you a choice. It's also a lot of pressure to put on a person."

"Tell me about it." Leah said under her breath.

"So are there any other bombshells you wanna drop on us?" Sam asked.

"Ummm…none that I can think of." I replied. "Oh! I can heal."

"We can all heal!" Paul responded with a smirk.

"No, asshat. I can heal other people."

"Cool!" Seth said starry-eyed.

"From what I've heard, it's about using a part of my spirit to heal others. I've only done it a few times but it takes a lot of out of me to do it."

"Can you show us?" Jared asked.

"Not really." I said. "I have no one to do it on. Everyone here heals too fast."

"So I have to ask the most important question…" Jared smirked.

"What?"

"Who's stronger? A panther or a wolf?"

* * *

It was well after midnight when we decided it was time to leave. Renesmee was passed out in Jacob's bed so it was decided she would stay the night with him. Edward, Bella, and I were about to get into the car when Quil came loping over.

"Hey Akando, wait up!"

"What?" I asked. Embry was standing behind him looking at us with interest. After the bonfire, he hadn't really talked to me much and every time I'd try to engage in conversation with him, he would give me short answers. The rest of the time it seemed like he had a lot on his mind.

"I gotta ask you something." He said nervously. "And it's gonna seem weird that I'm asking you this."

"Shoot."

"Do you think Embry is cute?" He must have seen the surprised look on my face because he quickly continued. "Like if he wanted to ask you out on a date…like to dinner on Friday or something, would you say yes?"

I looked over at Embry in the background and I could tell by the blush creeping up his face that he could hear what we were talking about. When our eyes connected, he quickly spun away from me, hiding his face. But before he turned away, I had seen something on his face. Something I hadn't seen in a long time. Vulnerability.

It was this vulnerability that made me turn to Quil and say…

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

So this chapter was a little longer but there was a lot that needed to happen. Sorry for the 'cliffhanger'. This chapter was one of the easiest for me to write, partly because I had already posted the clan's history on my DeviantART page so it was a matter of basically copy-and-pasting. When I was coming up with his clan's history, I did a lot of research. First I researched which tribes found the panther to be a sacred animal (the Seminole) and when I researched their history, I discovered their creation myth (the one I used in this story), then I just used the Quileute wolf shifter legend on how they got that power as inspiration for my panthers and voila! I don't know if I'll ever have a place to mention it but in my story, aside from wolves and panthers, there's also bear shifters. There used to be more but they're basically extinct. And also, I should've mentioned it earlier (I don't remember if I have already) but when he phases, Akando looks like a Florida Panther.

If I stick to my outline, there are only like 4 chapters left so the next few chapters will be fast paced and a lot is going to happen in a short amount of time.

I hope you enjoyed the story so far and I just want to think all the people who have supported this story but reviewing, following, and favoriting it. I appreciate you guys so much and you are all my greatest inspiration and motivation.


	7. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

"So, Jacob tells me you're going out on a date with Embry Call on Friday? 3 sevens!" Emmett said, his forehead furrowing as he set 3 cards down on the pile. 2 days ago, I told the Quileutes some Seminole history and later that night, Embry had asked me out, to which I said yes. Technically Quil had asked me out for Embry but now wasn't the time to nitpick.

I looked at the 2 sevens in my hand and I knew he was lying. "Bullshit!" I replied. In response, Emmett begrudgingly flipped the 3 cards over, revealing 2 sevens and a 9.

"So is it true?" He mumbled, collecting the stack of cards in the middle of the table. I knew how much he hated to lose and it probably killed him that I'd called his bluff.

"Yea," I replied, looking through the remaining cards in my hand. "1 eight."

"Why?" He asked. "You 2 don't have much in common. 3 nines."

"How will I know that if I don't go out with him?"

"Just trust me; you don't want to go out with him. He's not the right guy for you."

"Then who is?" I asked, momentarily lifting my eyes from the cards and staring at Emmett. He was looking at me intently with an intensity I had never seen from him before. It made me feel warm but sent an uncomfortable feeling into my gut. "2 tens."

As he stared back at me, he opened his mouth to respond but then he suddenly looked away. "I'm just saying, from what I've seen about him, he's pretty quiet and you need someone funny like you. Someone you can play around with and have fun. Bullshit."

I flipped over the ten and ace and collected the small stack of cards on the table. "Look Em, I'm not going to marry the guy, it's just a date. I've never been on a date before."

"Really?!" He asked surprised.

"Yes really! 1 Jack." I replied, avoiding his gaze. The topic of my love life was very embarrassing. So much so, it was rarely spoken of between us which was unusual since we talked about almost everything. In respect (and perhaps jealousy), I avoided bringing up him and Rosalie. "I mean, Hosea and I went out but I don't think we ever had a formal date. It's was more like hanging out."

"3 Queens." He said, laying down 3 cards. "I think I get that."

"The worse that'll happen is we'll have a good time, I'll get to know him better and maybe if the night goes right, I'll get a little nookie!" I replied smiling. "2 Kings."

I expected Emmett to make a crude joke but when I looked up at him, his face sported a look of unbelief. I could tell my own eyebrows were knitted in confusion.

"You're going to have sex with him?" He finally asked.

"I don't know, maybe." I responded carefully. "What's the problem?"

"So you're just going to sleep with a guy you just met?" He asked. The game had been ignored and I could tell by his expression, he was getting upset. I couldn't for the life of me imagine why he was getting angry. What did my sex life matter to him? "Don't you think that's just a little…"

"A little what?" I asked. He was starting to upset me with his judgment. "Slutty? Well maybe that's who I am Emmett. Maybe I'm just some whore."

"Don't say that about yourself!" He said, his voice rising. "That's not who you are!"

"That's not what you said a minute ago!"

He paused and looked at me before his gaze shifted to the right. The large sitting room felt a lot smaller and it felt like the walls were closing in on us. One of us needed to leave and get some air before this all blew up in both of our faces. With a deep sigh, Emmett looked back at me. "I didn't mean it like that. I just think you should only do that with someone you care for. Maybe it's a little old-fashioned but I don't think you should do it unless you care for him. 4 Aces."

My anger towards him quickly evaporated and I really took a moment to look at him. He had revealed a new layer to himself. I had always thought that to Emmett sex was just sex but he showed me there was more to him than that. I stared back at him and responded. "I would like that to be the case but I don't know if I'll ever have that. I mean, I look at everyone else in this house and they're all so happy together and I don't know if I'll ever have that. I'm just trying to seize the moment. You have Rosalie so…"

"Did I hear my name?" Rosalie said stepping into the kitchen, the sound of her high heels clicking on the hardwood floor. I had to do a double take when she walked in; she looked like walking sex. She was wearing nothing but a long, structured white blazer that came down to mid-thigh, revealing miles of her long, pale legs. There was a thick gold chain fixed around her neck like a collar while her hair fell in full, bouncy Veronica Lake curls, covering one of her amber eyes. She was wearing just the right amount of makeup with a strong cat eye and a bold red lip. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She slinked over to the table, throwing a withering look in my direction before gracefully stretching herself across Emmett's lap like a jungle cat on the prowl. Instinctively, his arm inched across her back, wrapping her in his embrace. I was instantly jealous.

"So, what are we playing?" She asked, looking only at Emmett. Slowly she brought her hand up and began tracing circles along Emmett's massive chest.

"**_We_**were playing _Bullshit_." I replied sullenly.

"And we were talking about Ando's date with Embry on Friday." Emmett interjected. Recently, he had taken to call me by the nickname my family called me and it made me smile.

"Oh that." She said dismissively. "I'd completely forgotten about that."

I rolled my eyes dramatically at this.

"Emmett honey." She said, her voice dripping with honey and sweetness with just a touch of husky seductiveness. She leaned in and began expertly kissing his neck. She spoke in hushed whispers but I was still able to hear her perfectly. "I'm feeling a little frisky, so I was thinking we could go upstairs and mess around a little."

I don't know what either of us expected his answer to be but the answer he gave her was not the one I had thought he would give and by the expression on her face, neither did Rosalie.

"Not right now, Rose." He said, not even looking at her. "We're kind of busy."

For a moment she paused but quickly composed herself. Tossing her hair back, Rosalie exposed the pale column of her neck while her hand snaked its way towards Emmett's crotch. Slowly, she began kneading it in her red painted claws.

"Come on." She said sexily. "It's been such a long time and I know you want it."

I glanced down at his groin where her hands were expertly moving but he didn't even seem to notice. He was staring intently at the cards in his hand as if she wasn't even there. Finally, he'd had enough.

"I said no Rosalie!" He said, standing up and lifting her bodily off his lap. Inside a part of me gave a whoop of triumph. The thought of them together made me physically ill. "We're trying to have a serious conversation here."

Rosalie looked as if she'd been slapped in the face. Slowly her eyes drifted to mine. I was just as shocked as she was and the surprise was written plainly on my face. Her gaze then moved towards Emmett, briefly falling to his flaccid crotch and back at me.

"Oh, I see." She said, her voice calm and measured. "Fine, I'll go."

Turning on the spot, she strutted back out of the room and up the stairs. Seconds later, a door slammed loudly upstairs. Emmett turned towards me and he looked at me like he was going to say something else but he quickly brushed it off and turned away from me.

"This isn't done." He said as he walked towards the kitchen door. I could hear him slowly walking up the stairs towards their bedroom, probably dreading the confrontation we both knew was coming. It was no secret they'd been arguing a lot lately but I knew better than anyone since my room was right next to theirs.

"Bullshit." I said with a sigh as I looked down at the four cards he'd laid down. 3 Aces and a six.

* * *

"What about this one?" I said holding up a navy sweater. I had been playing this game of dress-up for the last hour and all Alice had succeeded in doing was making me late for my date. The sun had begun to set, splashing the sky in arches of blue, orange, and red. Embry would be here soon and I still had no idea what I was going to wear. In truth, my wardrobe was the furthest thing from my mind.

I was nervous. Genuinely, authentically nervous; a feeling I didn't even know I could still feel but here I was a bundle of nerves and adrenaline so I was taking my frustration out on the one thing I could control- my appearance.

"No," Alice said thumbing through the fashion magazine in her hands. The pages moved so quickly, I was surprised they hadn't burst into flames. "That sweater isn't very flattering. You need something that'll make him hard just by the sight of you. Oh, I know!"

Faster than a human eye could track, Alice was up in a flash, rifling through the numerous bags of clothes she'd guilted me into buying. Initially, the relationship between Alice and I was one based on her need for a shopping partner but over time, it had grown into something more and I started to see her as a friend.

Alice pulled the items out of the bag and laid them neatly on the bed. I looked down at what she'd chosen for me- a pair of fitted black jeans with streaks of what looked like latex running down the legs, a plain black t-shirt with plastic black stars affixed to it, and a bright red blazer.

"Alice, I like it," I said holding the clothes up. "But don't you think this is a little overdressed for the movies?"

"Oh please." She replied dismissively. "What do I always say to you?"

"Better to be overdressed than not to be invited at all." I responded with an eye roll.

"Exactly." She said from behind me, twisting and tugging at my hair. "Now get dressed, he'll be here any minute."

I began undressing and slipping the clothes Alice had picked out for me on. She lay on the bed, looking at me with approval as I slipped the blazer over my shoulders.

"You look great!" She said, pushing me towards the floor length mirror she'd put in my room days ago.

I looked myself over, twisting and turning on the spot and I had to admit, I did look great. The jeans hugged my muscular thighs and ass like a second skin, while the t-shirt clung seductively to my lean torso. I looked up at what Alice had done to my hair and it looked good. She had braided it and twisted the braids into one large plait. I was admiring myself when I heard Alice get up from the bed and walk behind me.

"I need to ask you something and I need you not to get mad at me." She said quietly. I looked up at her face in the mirror and she was staring back at me openly, asking me not to hate her for her words.

"Alice, I could never get mad at you." I responded turning fully towards her. "What is it?"

She took a moment before replying. "Are you attracted to Emmett?"

I don't know what I had been expecting her to ask me but that question knocked me off my feet. All this time I had thought, even hoped I was being discreet with my feelings towards Emmett but apparently I was as transparent as the sheer blouse Alice was wearing.

"I would be lying if I said I didn't think he was sex on legs." I said sitting down next to her. "But let's be honest, it doesn't matter. He's completely in love with Rose."

"If it's honesty we're talking about, I'm not so sure anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"Well at first, they were inseparable. Hell, we couldn't pry them out of their bedroom the first couple years they were together but as time passed, I've noticed the spark between them fade. It would be easy to say they don't love each other anymore but I don't think that's it. I know they love each other but it's a calmer kind of love."

"What do you mean, 'a calmer kind of love'?"

"It's more friendly. Well, not lately with all of the fighting, but they're not the lovers they used to be."

"Alice, why are you telling me this?" I asked. I didn't know why Alice was doing this to me. The whole point of me going out with Embry was to be with someone I liked that liked me back. I was sick of pining over the married straight guy. I didn't even know where we stood as friends anymore. After he came back from the argument with Rosalie after her failed seduction, he didn't even look at me and he hadn't spoken to me since.

"I don't know. I just want them both to be happy." She replied. "It's just I see the way he looks at you and I don't need to be able to see the future to see he has feelings for you. Strong feelings. All I'm asking is that you don't close yourself off to the idea of you 2 being together."

"Ever the optimist Alice," I said standing from the bed. "But this is reality, not a romantic movie and the reality is he's straight and I'm moving on. I love you for trying but I've got a date to get to. A date with a guy who actually wants me."

Alice opened her mouth to reply but the doorbell interrupted her. She paused for a moment, turning towards the sound before looking back at me. "Embry's here!" she said with a grin before flying down the stairs. Minutes later, I could hear the front door open and the sounds of Alice's excited voice.

I took a deep breath and turned towards the bedroom door, pulling it open slowly and making my way down the hallway. As I descended the steps, I could see the back of Embry's head talking to Alice. When Alice's eyes cut in my direction, Embry turned to see what drew her attention. When his eyes met mine, his face instantly split into a grin. He looked good in dark blue skinny jeans and a burgundy polo shirt that really accentuated his muscled biceps.

"Hi." He said shyly when I reached the bottom of the steps and walked up to him. "You look great." He said, his eyes raking across my body.

"Hi." Replied back. "So do you." For a moment, nothing else mattered. Until the moment was broken by the flash of a camera. We both turned our shocked faces towards Alice who had a smile on her face and a camera in her hands.

"Sorry!" She responded before looking at the tiny camera screen. "But it's a good picture!"

I rolled my eyes and turned towards the front door that Embry quickly ran to open and stepped out into the cold evening air. "Goodbye Alice!" I shouted over my shoulder.

"Have fun kids!" She yelled back. "And I put some condoms in the pocket of your blazer!"

It was official. I would die of embarrassment.

"That was awesome!" Embry said excitedly as we walked out of the Port Angeles movie theater. We had just watched a movie filled with explosions and expletives and I had to admit, I loved every minute of it. Embry had also lightened up a lot and I found myself really enjoying his company. It had begun to snow but the street was still bustling with activity.

"I know!" I replied. "My favorite part was when he ripped the guy's nose off and the blood was shooting out."

"That was pretty boss," Embry said. "But my favorite part was when he jumped off the top of the bus and landed inside the convertible."

We walked in comfortable silence down the street and I didn't notice Embry looping his hand in mine until his warm heat was pressed against me. I turned in surprise and the look on his face instantly fell before he pulled away from me.

"Dude, sorry about that." He said, looking across the street as if something interesting were happening over there.

"No," I said seizing his hand again "I liked it. I was just a little surprised." I punctuated this by squeezing his hand.

"So are you hungry?" He said with a grin.

Dinner with Embry had been more than I thought it would be. When we got to the small Italian restaurant, he loosened up and we engaged in comfortable conversations. We talked about everything and anything from the first tooth I lost to when he came out to his parents. Everything about being with Embry was certain and comfortable. I never questioned how he felt about me because he showed it in the raptured way he looked at me when I spoke or how he would rest his hand on mine absently and we quickly fell into our own personal bubble. It was even effective in making me forget about Emmett. I learned so much about him as well and I began to see the part of him his friends got to see- the goofy but sincere person I knew was inside of him. Talking with him was like talking to an old friend and before either of us had realized, the restaurant was closing and we were the only two left in it.

"Wow, we've been chatting away for so long!" He exclaimed, checking his watch. "It's almost midnight."

"I guess we lost track of time." I replied, standing up and donning my blazer. I glanced outside the small window next to us and the snow had now covered most of the street and sidewalk in a blanket of snow.

"Yea." He agreed. I saw him reach into his pocket for his wallet and when I saw that he intended to pay, I stopped him.

"Here, let me pay." I said.

"No dice dude." He responded. "I asked you out so I pay. Maybe next time." He said with a wink and a smile.

The instant we stepped outside the restaurant, the cold air hit us with a blast. Luckily it didn't bother either of us as we walked back towards the theater where he'd parked. All was silent but the gentle crunch of our boots in the snow as Embry slipped his hand into mine as we walked. I enjoyed holding his hand more than I thought I would. It was warm and comforting, just like him and it made me want to lean into him.

When we reached his beat-up Chrysler Cirrus, he held the door open for me and I blushed at the action. He was being very gentlemanly but it had somehow made me feel submissive in his presence, something Emmett never did to me. The thought that I had just compared Emmett and Embry froze me for a second, but I quickly shook it off as Embry got into the car.

"I had a lot of fun tonight." I said as Embry started the car.

He turned towards me with a smile. "Me too." He said. "You know, I was really nervous that night at the bonfire. You were so hot and I thought you were going to say no."

"Oh stop that, Embry." I said, resting my hand on his thigh. "You're pretty hot yourself."

Embry glanced down at my hand and back up to my face, his eyes asking me a silent question. Suddenly the car grew warmer and I could feel myself being pulled towards him like 2 magnets. As we drew closer, I closed my eyes and I felt his lips land on mine. They were soft and hot and the longer we kissed, the warmer I got. Soon, we were enraptured in one another, my tongue searching for his within his hot mouth. It felt like fire was rushing through my veins as his hands entwined into my hair and he deepened the kiss. Expertly, our tongues tangoed and as I let my hand travel up his thigh, I could feel him growing hard under the fabric of his jeans. I swallowed his moan as I gripped his erection tightly and jacked it slowly within its denim prison.

I pulled back from the kiss, desperately seeking air in my exhausted lungs. I knew I was hard myself as my hand kneaded the large mound of flesh between his legs. As Embry threw his long neck back and moaned, I took the opportunity to lick along its length before nipping lightly at it. I kissed, bit, and licked my way down his neck, only pausing to raise his shirt over his head. I halted my movements to stare down at Embry's hard body, admiring the peaks and valleys of his muscular form before bending down and capturing one of his dark nipples in my mouth. Louder he moaned as he pushed my head harder onto his chest, my mouth working at his nipples fervently while my hands worked at undoing his jeans.

When I finally fished his cock out of his jeans, I looked down to admire the turgid erection in my hands. It wasn't long but it was incredibly thick. It was a shade darker than his russet skin, except for the large pink head leaking precum like a faucet. Unlike mine, he was circumcised but the color along his cock shifted subtly from pink to brown. I bent over, placing a kiss on the 'V' of his abdomen, my hands slowly working up and down his dick. I moved down, running my fingers through his pubic hair before my face was right in front of his cock.

I stuck my tongue out and licked the length of his thick cock, making him shudder and moan underneath me. Suddenly, he was pulling me off of him, bringing my face level with his. When I looked at him, he was breathing heavily and his face was flushed and sweating. His eyes sparkled as he leaned in and quickly pecked my lips.

"You don't have to do this." He said, looking deeply into my eyes. "I can just take you home."

"No," I replied. "I want to do this." And I did.

I leaned back over and captured the head of his dick into my lips before sliding completely down its length. I pulled almost off, using my tongue to tease the head before swallowing it again. With my free hand, I tugged and rolled his hairy balls while I bobbed up and down his cock. By now he was a jumbled mess of moans and swears and I could tell he was getting closer to climax. Speeding up my ministrations, I let one of my fingers dip down and tease his hole while I played with his balls.

"Oh god!" He said suddenly. "I'm about to cum!"

Seconds later, my mouth was flooded with his thick cum as he pumped it into my lips. One..two..three spurts and he fell back onto the seat, panting and groaning. His cum tasted salty as I swallowed it and pulled off his cock, which was growing soft by the minute.

As I lay back in my seat suddenly I felt the cold chill of guilt creeping up my spine and Emmett's words permeated my mind. I had done exactly what he didn't want me to do and instead of feeling triumphant and rebellious, I feel cold with regret.

"Do you want me to return the favor?" Embry asked gesturing to my crotch with a mischievous grin. My erection had deflated as I sat in my seat, wallowing in my own self-pity.

"No." I replied. "I'm kind of tired."

Embry simply nodded and stuffed himself back into his jeans. Soon we were off, heading back to the Cullen's house.

There are moments in your life when you feel like nothing makes sense. When feelings and memories feel like confusing lies to you. Then there's that moment of perfect clarity when it all begins to make sense and you feel victorious in your fight of self-discovery. I can say now was not one of those moments. I'd felt more confused than ever.

I had been having a great time and it all changed when I thought of him. Him. Emmett Cullen. He held a power over me, that he wielded like a blade that rend and tore at my heart and I was an idiot to believe a lovely distraction would take my mind off of him. Somehow he still found a way to invade my mind like a drug. An unwanted opiate. I'd disgraced him and now I felt dirty. And worse, I'd used Embry. Sweet, open, genuine Embry. Sure, I was attracted to him but the attraction was nowhere near the heart racing heat I felt towards Emmett. Embry was comfortable. Too comfortable.

And as we sped down the road back to the Cullen's house, I'd felt lower than I'd ever felt before.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Not much I can really say about this chapter. I'm going to be posting an interlude chapter later this week to tie in this one and the next one. It was supposed to be a part of this one but it would have made the chapter too long.

I'd always intended them to have full on sex but last minute, I chose to do just do oral. I don't why but this chapter was difficult for me to do so if any of the movement and dialogue feels forced or jumpy, I apologize deeply. And poor Embry, he never stood a chance but I have plans for him. For everyone really.

Stay tuned cuz shit's about to get real!


	8. Interlude

**INTERLUDE**

I stood on the porch of the Cullen's house, awkwardly waving good-bye to Embry and trying hard to keep the look of fear from my face. I felt as if any moment Emmett would come barreling out of the front door calling me a whore and pummeling Embry to pieces for destroying my precious virtue. The ride back was quiet and slightly uncomfortable as Embry probably took my quiet contemplation as me regretting what we had just done. It would be easy to say I regretted it but honestly, I don't think I did. I like Embry, I really do, in a way I didn't think I would but there was still no denying my stronger feelings for Emmett. Was I willing to bury my feelings for him and attempt to be happy with Embry? Absolutely. But was it unfair of me to keep Embry from a guy who would love him with fiery passion instead of the smoldering embers of my contentment?

I watched as his car drove down the driveway and turned, leading him towards the Quileute reservation. With a sigh, I turned around and entered the house. I expected Alice to be flitting around like a ballerina on crack irritating Edward or goading Bella into a couture dress that she would never wear. Or Esme cooking one of her latest experimental ethnic dishes while Carlisle read the recipe to her. Or Emmett playing video games with Jacob while Jasper looked on in rapt fascination at the intensity of the competitiveness. But none of that was going on. The house was dark and deadly silent; so quiet, I thought the pounding of my heart would sound around the home like a gong in a monastery. I slowly walked around the house searching for a sign of life or some indication as to where everyone had gone but there was none.

Figuring they would be home soon, I made my way to my bedroom intent on catching a few hours of sleep before Alice came jumping into my bed for some reason or another. As I crept up the wooden staircase that led to the bedrooms, I was halfway to my destination when I heard shouting. Instantly I picked up on the voices, so familiar in their collective ire that the notion of their discontent was as common as a vampire's thirst.

I'd decided I would just walk past their bedroom and into my own when I heard my name among their words. Instantly, I was on high alert. A part of me thought it would be rude to eavesdrop but rationality had fled from the house when Embry had turned right on Poppy Street. I moved closer to the door, intent on listening to what they were saying, an unnecessary feat since even though the room was filled with fierce whispering, I could hear it as plainly as if they were shouting the words.

"Don't give me that Emmett!" Rosalie could be heard saying. Her voice sounded pretty close to the door and that alone was almost enough to make me turn away. "You've been different since **_he_** showed up!"

"It's not like that Rose!" Emmett said, his voice taking on a desperate quality.

"Bullshit Em!" She replied, her voice moving further into the room. I could hear shuffling and things being moved. "I see the way you look at him. Everyone does! And it's a slap in the face to me. Your _wife_!"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't...I don't look at him like anything!" The comment sent a spike of something through me and even in my limited understanding of my own emotional range, I knew it was hurt.

"You do!" She responded. Now I could hear drawers sliding open and closed. "You watch him like he's the only one in the room, like no one else exists. And trust me I would know, you used to look at me the same way."

There was a moment of silence and I could hear Emmett sigh deeply. "We both know things aren't the way they used to be." He said finally. I could hear the squeak of the mattress springs as one of them sat on it. "Even before he got here, we haven't been the same."

"Ok, but we could have worked on it if he hadn't shown up."

"Really Rose?" He replied. "I think you're saying that because it's easier to blame him than facing the fact that we're no good together. Not anymore."

"So this is my fault?!" She asked angrily.

"No, that's not-"

"Because when you first told me that you were...bisexual, I asked you over and over again if that was something you wanted to explore together but every time, you said no. So don't say I didn't try to understand your...predilections."

"Rose, I'm not saying it's anyone's fault!"

"Then what are you saying?"

"I just think we need some time apart. We both have a lot to think about and...i'm just sick of arguing with you all the time."

"And you think I enjoy this Emmett?" She asked, her voice sounding defeated. "I love you and I can't fathom the idea of not having you in my life."

Emmett didn't respond and I thought the conversation was over but then Rosalie spoke. This time her voice sounded small and sad.

"What if you just have sex with him? Get it out of your system, and then we can try to make this good again?"

Her words were enough to break my heart, enough to rush to my bedroom, pack my things and go. I had never once given her chance, granted she never gave me one either but I had never saw her as a human being before. Competition. The wife. My enemy. But never as a person. It made me sick to my stomach that I was the reason behind their marital discourse and I almost ran from the spot where I stood and never looked back.

"It's not that simple." Emmett responded. "And you know that..I think I might lov-"

"Don't finish that sentence Emmett. Don't you dare!" She said fiercely, the old Rosalie back. "If you say it, you can't take it back!"

"But I-"

"You know what?" She interjected, her voice rising. "I don't care anymore. I'm done. You hear me? I'm **done**! I'm leaving and you can stay here and fuck your little whore until Exodus comes and delivers his sweet demise, I don't care."

"Rose, please don't! I love you, please don't-"

"Don't say that!" She shouted. "Don't lie to me. You know where to find me when you realize he will **never** make you happy like I can!"

I could hear her footsteps rapidly approaching the door and as if I were on autopilot, I was up like a shot. I flew down the stairs faster than I ever thought possible and before I realized I was outside, I was already running to the forest, leaving a trail of designer clothes behind me as I let the change come over me. This time I yearned for it; relished the white hot heat that shot through my body as bones cracked and rearranged themselves. Before I even reached the treeline, I was covered in fur and fear, the cold winter air rushing past me. Usually I found the cold a minor inconvenience but tonight, it was exhilarating. I ran with no destination in mind, clearing my thoughts of the nagging questions plaguing me.

Was what Rosalie said true?

Did Emmett actually have feelings for me?

Did she leave?

Where would she go?

Did I break up a marriage?

I closed my eyes and shook off the questions, focusing on the icy breath entering my lungs and the snowflakes clinging to my damp tawny and grey fur. Everything had been so much easier when I was on my own and now I'd entangled myself in something I had no control over.

And what would happen now?

I wasn't meant to hear any of that so was I now expected to pretend like I hadn't heard it, walking around blind and ignorant until Emmett deigned to inform me? Or would I confront him with the knowledge and let it all play out like some Spanish soap opera? Would the Cullens support me or would they side with Rosalie? I would never ask them to choose but I knew if there was a choice between the two of us, I knew they'd pick family over friends.

And if something came of it, would I be willing to be in a relationship with Emmett? I'd never thought of the idea of falling in love when I met the Cullens, hell, I hadn't even conceived I'd still be here. Which brought up another good question.

What about Exodus?

With the lack of any new leads, we had all grown comfortable and complacent. I'd inserted myself into this family as if they were my own and now the consequences were becoming more than a stray thought.

I grunted, realizing I was still focused on the situation and not clearing my mind like I'd intended to. But the more I tried not to think about it, the more I couldn't help but think about it. Embry's face when I closed the door as I got out of his car. Emmett face when I told him I would have sex with Embry. Rosalie's expression when Emmett rejected her. All of them swirled around, turning accusatory gazes at me. Maybe it would just be easier on everyone if I just left...

Suddenly, my senses picked up an odor that made me halt in my tracks. A smell I knew I'd smelled before; it was human but there was something odd about it. The pervading scent of sweat and metal that all humans possessed was still present but there was a sweet, almost floral smell intertwined in it. Instantly, I was on high alert. I spun slowly, listening intently and trying to cover all my bases. I could hear breathing and footsteps. A lot of them. I crouched my body low to the ground, ready for whoever was moving quickly towards me.

"I knew if I were patient, you would finally let down your guard." A voice said from behind me. I spun quickly as a blonde man in his mid-20s came striding out from between the tall pines. He was dressed in a black leather jacket and leather pants. He had sheathed daggers strapped to each thigh and a sword sheathed on his back. He was very handsome and carried himself in a cocky, arrogant way. He looked me up and down, pushing his short hair back before rubbing the blonde stubble along his jaw line. "Although looking at you now, I don't know what all the fuss is about."

I knew instantly who he was.

This was the infamous Barnabas, leader of Hosea's team and heir to Exodus, the corporation bent on killing me.

"I told you we should have grabbed him a long time ago." A female voice said. I spun to my right where a young Latino girl came strutting out. She looked to be in her early 20s. Her dark hair was pulled back into a high ponytail that swayed with every step. She was dressed in the same outfit as Barnabas, hers clinging to her body like a second skin. Instead of daggers though, she appeared to be completely unarmed. She narrowed her small eyes in my direction and I could see the contempt behind them, making her green eyes darken even more. And why wouldn't she hate me? I did date her brother.

I took a step back as she moved closer into my personal space. I knew that if it were just the 2 of them, I would be fine but I also knew that, like wolves, they always traveled in packs. I took another step backwards as she moved forward. The game seemed to excite her as a grin broke out across her face. I arched my back and issued a deep growl in her direction. This only furthered in amusing her.

"Ah, there we go!" She said, her grin splitting her face again. "There's the fire that made my brother think he could slum it with you!"

"Anna," A small, sweet voice said from behind me. "Don't be so mean. It's not the fault of the abomination that he was born of sin." I did a complete 180 and I realized how quietly the petite Asian girl in front of me had snuck up on me. So much so, she had started to encroach on my personal space. She reminded me a lot of Alice. They were both small and impossibly thin with short haircuts. This girl's, though, was deep red and messy but in a way that was artfully so. Combined with the heavy black eye makeup framing her eyes, she looked quite the part of the danger of innocence. She wore, what I could only assume, was the official Exodus uniform of black leather jacket and leather pants. She had 3 daggers strapped to each thigh, one strapped to each bicep, one sticking out of each boot, and a row of knives attached to her belt.

"Why do you always take their side, Miriam?" Anna said with a sneer.

"I don't know." She said, her tongue ring flashing as spoke. "I guess I pity them."

"Pity?" Barnabas asked, amusement dancing around his blue eyes.

"Yes," Miriam responded. "They don't know that what they are are an affront to God. They're almost proud of it."

"Then it will be our job to educate them." A booming voice said. Seconds later, an enormous black man stepped from the trees. His heavily muscled body was so big, the leather of his uniform strained almost uncomfortably against his bulk. He had deep, creamy, dark skin with short, close-cropped black hair. The front of his jacket was completely unzipped revealing his massive chest and sculpted eight pack. A leather strap crossed his chest, holding something to his back. Only the gleaming metal handle of it could be seen sticking out from his shoulder.

"And educate him we will Ezekiel." Barnabas said.

I cut my eyes at each of them, searching for a way to escape. I hated the idea of running but I was outnumbered and I knew if it came to a fight, I would lose. Anna must have seen my searching eyes because she was the first to speak.

"Looking for Hosea?" She said, again moving closer to me. I felt boxed in and that would make me unfocused and desperate. I had to stay calm. "Well, he couldn't be here tonight but he sends his regards."

"Anna..." Miriam warned. My eyes quickly shifted down towards her legs as she casually pulled 2 daggers from her thigh holsters and held them firmly in each hand. They had shining silver handles with intricate designs carved into them but that wasn't what made them so unique, Their blades weren't metal but gleaming white like polished bone...or teeth. "Don't play with your food."

"You're right." She replied, flipping her ponytail behind her. The moonlight streaming through the trees caught a flash of something in her hand. I squinted trying to get a better look but her hands moved too fast for me to see it.

"Well, on to business. Here's how it's going to go." Barnabas said, pulling the sword from its sheath. It looked like a larger version of Miriam's daggers, down to its long white blade.

"We're going to attack you, you're probably going to fight...futilely, I might add...and we're going to take you down."

"But, before that," Ezekiel said, pulling his own weapon from it's back sheath. I was finally able to see it. It was an axe. It had a silver, engraved handle like the daggers and sword, but unlike them, the entire blade wasn't white. It was mostly metal with the edge of the blade made from the same white bone. "Any last words?"

I glanced at each of them, still searching for a way out but I knew there would be none. I crouched low to the ground and unsheathed my claws, baring my fangs at them.

"I guess he's spoken." Barnabas said, his cocky smile returning to his face. I saw the instant his muscles sprang into action, faster than a human should be able to move. He raised his sword, arcing it across my face and forcing me to dodge to the right. Before I could get my footing, a sharp, intense pain shot through me and I could instantly feel blood matting my fur. I twisted away from the pain, throwing myself into the person next to me. I rammed Miriam hard into the tree behind her, twisting to see the knife sticking from my back. She grunted as the tree cracked beneath our weight and slumped down, her body limp with unconsciousness. The venom made them stronger and their skin harder but I was still stronger than them.

At the sound of her battle cry, I turned as Anna delivered a blow to my muzzle, drawing blood from my nose. It disoriented me for a second but a second was all she needed. Like lightning, she was on me raining blow after blow into my body, slicing and cutting me with every punch. Right before her fist connected with my face again, I saw why her punches did so much damage. Lining her fists was a pair of brass knuckles with small, sharpened spikes sticking out of them, white like the blade of the sword.

I threw my paw out, claws extended, and swiped across Anna's front ripping her jacket to shreds and cutting 3 large gashes across her stomach. I expected her to cry out but even after the scratches began to bleed she held firm. Suddenly Ezekiel was at her side, his hand on her shoulder motioning her back. I could feel blood pouring out of every inch of me but I knew my healing would heal them quickly.

Ezekiel was on me in an instant, delivering his own barrage of punches but without the benefit of the knuckles, his punches were only uncomfortable to me. As he rose up to punch me again, I could see as he lifted his axe to cut me following the punch. I felt the punch hit me but ducked right after. I looked up to see Ezekiel's axe sticking out of the tree next to me, wood chips raining down on top of me. As he tried to pry it from the tree's unyielding bark, I lunged at his middle, clamping my fangs down on him. He grunted deeply before abandoning his efforts to grab his axe and instantly, he swung his hand out, throwing me off of him and tossing me into the tree behind me.

I felt the air leave my body as my back collided with the tree and I knew I heard something crack. I lay on the cold ground, trying to pull myself back onto my feet but no matter how hard I tried, they resisted and I found myself face down in the snow. This was it. This was how I was going to die.

I saw as Barnabas approached me, his thick-soled boots crunching in the snow. Slowly he lowered himself onto one knee, his face level with my own. His cocky grin had returned and I looked away, unable to give him the satisfaction of seeing my face. My gaze fell on Anna, leaning against a tree topless save for her lacy black bra. The gashes on her stomach had already started to heal and I could see the venom knitting her wound back together. I felt Barnabas' cold hands turn my face towards him, forcing me to look into his cerulean eyes.

"You put up a good fight," He said, reaching for something behind him, his eyes never leaving mine. As he pulled his arm back, he held it up for me to see. It was a syringe full of a clear liquid. Taking the cap off, he let some squirt out and dribble along the syringe's needle.

"But in the end, we have God on our side. And he never loses."

The instant he plunged the needle into me, I could feel whatever was in it rush through my body. It felt like fire; like lava racing through me, ripping me apart from the inside out. I tried to get up but the world vaulted forwards and I couldn't keep my head up. Everything around me had grown blurry and hazed and my limbs felt as if they weighed a ton.

I closed my eyes, letting my body surrender to the pain and embracing Death.

And as I lay on the frozen forest floor, the last words I heard before I slipped into Death's warm embrace was Barnabas' triumphant:

"Amen."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

So there you have it.

We finally got to see Exodus and it certainly won't be the last time we'll see them.

And what about Emmett and Rosalie? Or Emmett and Akando?

Stay tuned for the next installment of The Blue Hour.

Side note, I discovered there are already 18 other Twilight fics named The Blue Hour! Who knew?! Oh well.

All of a lot of what happened in the end of this chapter will be explained like where Hosea is and how Barnabas was able to stick him with the syringe. I will warn you, the next chapter will be exclusively from Emmett's POV and it'll be the only one. It also might be a little late since I spent the time I would've used for it on this chapter.


	9. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

*This chapter is told from the POV of Emmett.

Have you ever had a moment when your head and your heart disagreed? A time where your heart in its passionate pleas, slammed against your chest, threatening to burst right through your rib cage while your head, in its cool and detached disposition rationalized the truth your heart refused to believe? Well, that's how I felt right now. My head told me to stop Rosalie from walking out that door but my heart couldn't make the words come out. My heart yearned for something else. Some_one_ else. Don't get me wrong, I still loved Rosalie, probably more than I could and would ever love anyone else but our love had never matured; it had never grown into something other than contentment. I was content that I would never find anyone who would love me as much as she did and she was content in my worship over her. But as time passed, her mystique and wonder faded and I'd begun to see her differently. I begun to see the vain insecure girl she thought she'd killed when she killed her fiance but there it was, lurking under a thin veneer of beauty and anger.

It would be easy to say my change of heart had everything to do with Akando but that would be unfair to everyone involved. Rosalie and I had grown distant for some time, both of us clinging to a love that had slipped away. I knew why Rosalie wanted me; I reminded her of someone long gone who she could have care for and in exchange she would receive unconditional love for her. Something a child should do for her but a dream I could never fulfill. And I was guilty of wanting her for my own reasons. Sure, I had always been attracted to her but from her, I needed something more. Growing up in a small town in Tennessee to a fairly poor family, my options were pretty limited. But the life my parents had wanted for me wasn't the life I had wanted for myself. At first, I drank, gambled, and partied my troubles away, losing myself in the warm embrace of too much scotch and more than my fair share of women and when the opportunity arose, men. But when that bear attacked me and I could feel my life fading from me, I prayed to anyone listening that I didn't want to die this way. I wanted to die someplace else, away from the daily routine of work, sleep, and more work. Away from the expectations of my family. Away from the expectations of society. And then she appeared, like an angel in white and she answered my prayers and showed me a life I had only dreamed of living. A life filled with no responsibilities and the chance to be selfish for once.

It was hard at first. I had railed so hard against the life I had led and after I was changed at my first chance out of it, I returned. But with my new found powers, came a clarity about life and I found my human life lacking. Things had changed as well. My family could see the change in me and it scared them. I would find my mother clutching her rosary and staring at me as if a demon had possessed her son. I never ate or slept and I knew there were subtle things I had yet to learn to compensate for like blinking or breathing. But my new strength was an asset while I worked at the railroad so my brothers ignored it. But as the thirst grew within me I knew I could no longer stay so in the dead of night, I left the only family I knew and returned to my angel. I would miss my mother and her beautiful voice when she would sing while making dinner. The smell of my fathers homemade cigarettes that he would roll every Sunday evening before cleaning his favorite gun. My little sister, Richlynn, and her incessant questions about everything from earthworms to the stars. Even my older brothers Richard, Julian, and Walter who had always seen me as the screw-up baby brother who would never amount to much. I saw them mourn my disappearance and it broke my heart.

But with Rose, I discovered things about myself I never knew. I learned about the world. I had freedom in my hands and the most gorgeous woman on my arm and nothing could stop us. We lived in huge cities with lights that blotted out the stars. We stayed in places that could fit 6 of my parents house's inside of them. And there was never anyone telling us we couldn't. Carlisle would discipline us when he felt we were out of line and who were we to disrespect him? He has given us everything and asked for nothing. And as our family grew, so did my love for those around me. I began to think of others and not just myself. I began to want to learn and contribute to the life I now lived.

That was why it was so hard for me to let her leave.

I watched as she paused at our bedroom door, turned, and looked at me with equal parts heartbreak and contempt. This was my chance to stop her, apologize and beg to make things right but I just couldn't. Even heartbroken, with her hair in a ponytail, no makeup on her face, and clad in a simple pair of jeans and a sweater, Rosalie was still the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. And it had hurt to look her, so painful I had to turn away from her and stare out the window, silently willing her to leave and make the decision for me. And she did. She left so quickly, I heard her car skid around the corner before the front door had even closed and I knew what it felt like to have my heart broken.

I looked around the huge room, at all the mementos we'd collected over the years, the memories we framed to keep immortalized and I knew I had to leave. Maybe not forever but I couldn't be here tonight. It was all too much. My head was a jumble of questions and regrets and the air in the room was too stifling. It was as if the walls themselves were closing in on me, putting me into a box of my own woes and locking me in like the sins of Pandora's Box. I would be back; I had to come back. We were still on alert for Exodus but I needed time to decide what I would do with my life now. Whether I would ask Rose to come back or try to be with Akando.

Akando.

Even his name had the power to punch me in the gut and leave me for dead. I don't know when it had happened but I was falling for the boy. Hard. Actually, I knew I wanted him the first time I saw him. Cliche, maybe, but when I saw him that first day, lying in that hospital bed he looked like an angel sent to tempt me like Adam to the apple. Seeing him gave me clarity I hadn't experienced in a long time and made it obvious in my mind of what I had been missing with Rose. And then I got to know him and it made me like him even more. But that was as far as I was ever going to let it go. I wasn't so cocky to believe he would automatically find me attractive but I knew I was attracted to him in a big way. But I'm a married man and even though nothing is legal, she's still my wife in my heart and I would never hurt her through infidelity. So I was content to just be his friend. I was fine with sitting back, silently worshiping his ever move and sigh. It didn't bother me to try and see him as a comrade because I knew it was what was best for everyone. So I held my tongue and suffered in silence.

I'm not as stupid as people would like to think I am, I knew I had feelings for him and I wasn't going to deny it. But I guess I had been stupid enough to think that no one else could see my attraction for him. I had thought I was being so smooth but I guess I hadn't been because I could feel the way Rose's eyes would watch us. The way she would conveniently always find a reason to be in the same room with us. The excuses she would give to keep me from being alone with him and for the most part, I tried hard to keep some distance. But everyday I learned more about him, his life, and his struggle and it became harder to resist him. Everything about him drove me nuts. His soft, long hair, his sexy body, his beautiful smile, and the best ass I've ever seen in my life. But it wasn't just the physical things. I loved his wit, his competitiveness, his survival instinct and sensitivity but also his toughness, and his protectiveness towards those he cared about. Even the way I felt about myself when I was with him. Rose had always expected me to be strong, sexy, and silent but Akando didn't want anything from me and he saw me for the person I am, not who he'd wanted me to be.

I had found my equal.

And then he went to the Quileute reservation with Jacob and came back with a date. That stupid date. Have you any idea how hard it is pretending that you're okay with the person you think you love going out with someone else? It sent a red hot jealousy through me that burned fiercer than the venom that made me. But I held my cool. I just wanted him to be happy, even if it wasn't with me. But then he had to go and say he would have sex with him and I lost it. Yea, we'd talked about sex before but talking about past experiences was completely different from knowing it was going to happen. And there was nothing I could do to stop it. So from that day on, I just avoided him. And it was the hardest thing I ever had to do but after that day, Rose and I had another intense argument. They were always about him. At first, we would both skate around directly saying it was him but soon it became painfully obvious that she thought he was pulling me away from her. Little did she know, she was doing a great job of that herself. So she asked me to stay away from him and even though I found the request appalling, I agreed because she was my wife and I did honestly want to work to fix our marriage.

But it all hit it's peak the night he left to go on the date. I had innocently asked Alice if he'd left yet and I could feel Rose drilling a hole in the back of my head. With a huff, she stormed off and as with routine I was expected to chase her. And I did. I could feel the difference in this argument, our words had turned from questioning and hoping to angry and bitter. We hurled insults like ping-pong balls bouncing them back and forth with every intention of hurting each other, something we would have never dreamed of doing before. We yelled so loudly, the family had left, probably to avoided getting hit in the crossfire. And that's when she'd made the decision to leave.

I shook my head, throwing my mind out of it's torturous reverie as I headed to the closet and grabbed a suitcase. I felt a weight settle in the pit of my stomach as I looked at all of the clothes Rose had left behind, her rose and lilac perfume still clinging to their fabric as the realization that she was gone began to sink in. Hastily, I opened drawers pulling out all manner of clothes, not even bothering to look at what I was grabbing. I headed back into the closet, searching for the shoe box that contained some of our petty cash. I knew that wherever I went, I couldn't use my credit cards or the family would find me instantly. I would be back after I sorted my head out and my phone would be on if there was an emergency but I needed to come back on my own terms. I shoved about 2 grand into my duffel bag, along with some shoes and a photo of me and Rose we kept on our bedside table. It was taken while we were in Paris back in 70s. Even though we'd had an amazing time, the trip was still a touchy subject with Rose. We had gone to visit her friend Diane who'd just moved to Paris and while out at some nameless club, a guy had shamelessly began flirting with Rose. Back then, we were all about free love and bringing others into our bedroom scene and the guy wasn't unfortunate looking so I saw no reason why a threesome wouldn't be okay. He had brought along his best friend Egon who'd instantly fallen in love with Diane. Well, soon they were engaged and Diane went on a warpath, after deciding she wanted to be a fashion designer. In those days, women were expected to present themselves in a certain way and Diane had wanted to design clothes for women that were free and sexy, like Rosalie. Using Rose as her muse, adviser, and sole inspiration, she went on to design the infamous wrap dress and became a household name, climbing to fame and never once mentioning Rose's part to play. Ever since then she refuses to wear anything by Diane Von Furstenberg.

I tossed the photo in the bag as I made my way to the door, grabbing my keys off of the desk by the door. I turned and looked around the room I'd once shared with Rose. Without her here it seemed hollow and empty as if the skeleton of the room was now revealed, dissected and ripped of all it's love, joy, and happiness. I walked out the door closing it behind me gently and turned towards the hallway. I could smell Akando's scent wafting through the hallway like incense smoke.

He must be back from his date.

I turned towards his closed bedroom door and I almost went to it and knocked but something made me stop in my tracks. It was the knowledge of knowing that if I went to him, I wouldn't leave and if I didn't leave, I would always wonder if what I felt for him was genuine or my own discontentment with my marriage. I didn't want him to be my rebound. So I pulled myself away from his door, silently willing my feet to move down the stairs and out the door.

And as I drove down the driveway and out onto the road, I fought against my every instinct to look in the rear view mirror. Because the life reflected in it was no longer mine. Maybe one day it would be again but for now, I trained my eyes on the road ahead. A road filled with discovery and realization. A road that would take me into the unknown. A road to me.

* * *

I narrowed my gaze, my mouth watering as I watched him walk slowly through the snow. I could feel the venom building up behind my lips, waiting in anticipation for the opportunity to rend flesh and savor his warm blood. His prints lay wide in the white snow as he paced back and forth, waiting. What was he waiting for? In my mind, he knew I was behind this tree, crouched down in the cold snow as the cool Canadian wind whipped back and forth sending snow and scent in my direction. It had been 3 days since I'd left home. I had every intention of trying to get my head straight, to decide if I wanted to be with Akando for real. But the longer I had to think the more questions sprang up in my mind, keeping me alert all night and wallowing in my own self-pity. The one impediment that had kept me from being with him, Rosalie, was now not really an issue. She'd left, making it perfectly clear we were done. But there was still a lot of residual guilt tugging at my heartstrings and pulling at my bones. Rose and I had loved each other for a long time and feelings that strong don't just go away. I felt bad about wanting to be with Akando and that guilt was hard to stomach. But what of my own arrogance? What if Akando wants nothing to do with me? What if he's not attracted to me?  
But the answers lay spread out in front of me like the winning hand on a poker table. I knew he wanted me; I'd known for a long time. I saw it in the way he would unintentionally shift his body to match mine, the way he would blush if I made any kind of sexual reference. It was in the way he would stare at me, as if the next words that came from my mouth could save or end him. And I knew how he felt. Even lying in that hospital bed when he first arrived, there was a magnetism that made me want to sit next to him, waiting even as the world fell around us just to see him open his eyes.  
I was pulled from my thoughts by the vibrating in my pocket. I quickly yanked the phone out of my pocket, glancing at the number on its face.  
Alice.  
She had been calling me for the last three days but I wasn't ready to talk to any of them. I didn't need them all breathing down my neck, chastising me for breaking Rosalie's heart and destroying our family. I knew that if I answered the phone and went home, I would make a snap decision that would send us all into ruin. I quickly turned off my phone, glancing through the trees at him. He must have heard the phone's buzzing because now his big brown eyes darted cautiously around the forest clearing. I needed something to take my mind off of it all and I knew killing him would offer me the distraction I needed.  
I crouched back down into position, my eyes tracking his every movement. I could feel my muscles tense, locking themselves in position readying for attack. The moment was now. If I waited any longer, he would be gone and my meal for the night would go along with him. Experimentally, he sniffed the air when suddenly his head swung in my direction. Instantly, my body sprang into action as I swiftly glided through the trees, charging dangerously close to an enormous Fir as I pounced on his body and brought him to his knees.  
With a roar, he twisted his bulky form around so that I was now lying on his stomach, his massive paws swiping at my head. I couldn't even feel it.  
For minutes we wrestled back and forth, each of us gaining domination before the other would snatch defeat. I could end this fight easily but the best part of the hunt wasn't the kill but the thrill. Finally, my hunger overrode my need for a fight and I allowed my lips to pull back over my venom-coated teeth. I reared my head back before sinking my teeth deep into his flesh. It was hard getting to him through the fur and flesh but the instant I felt the warm blood rush down my throat, it had made the struggle worth it. His large bucking body slowed to a slow twitch and I could see the hopelessness in his eyes. I had always found a sick satisfaction in hunting bears. Not just because they were challenging prey but a part of me saw in every bear the bear that had attacked me so many years ago.  
I could feel the bear thrashing under me. I didn't want the beast to suffer. I may have gotten pleasure out of the hunt but I wasn't a monster and I knew he was in pain so I lifted its head, heavy with death and twisted it, breaking his neck. Instantly he lay still underneath me as I finished my meal. My thoughts of Akando and decisions would come back soon enough but for now, I was hungry.

I stepped under the spray of the hot water, letting it wash over my body as the blood, fur, and gore slid off my pale skin and down the drain. Showering was one of the strange things about being a vampire. No matter how hot or cold the water was, to me it had no temperature at all. The only thing that let me know I was showering was the wetness cascading down my muscular body. I stared at the chrome drain, watching the red water turn clear and disappear. Tonight it was only a deer. I wasn't nearly as hungry since I had the bear 4 days ago but when I felt the familiar burn of hunger in my throat, I decided to stop off for a snack.

I slowly lifted my head, the water matting my black hair against my forehead as I stared in front of me at the once-white tiles of the shower wall. They were now caked in mildew and the sweet aroma of decay permeated my nose and filled my mind. Even though I couldn't feel the heat, the steam had a way of fogging my mind the same way it did the mirror. I had been effective in pushing thoughts of Rosalie out of my mind but the harder I pushed her away, the harder Akando's memories pushed back.

I grabbed the bar of soap from the dish and smoothed my hands around it, lather bubbling up between my fingers. I rubbed the soap into my neck, massaging it in as I covered my body. I continued down, letting my fingers graze against my nipples. My breath came out in a shuddering moan as I allowed my hands to slid across my nipples again. They were always extremely sensitive. I could feel myself growing hard under the spray of the water as I let my mind relax along with my body. Since I hadn't been having sex with Rose, it had been awhile and the tension was starting to build. As I tugged on my left nipple, I let my right hand slid down my abs and into my bush as my hands wrapped around my hard, pulsing cock. I had always been proud of my dick, it was long, roughly 8 inches and thick. Rosalie had always said I was only man who could ever make her orgasm and I believed her. My prowess in the bedroom was never something I was self conscious about. I let my fist moved up my cock, causing my foreskin to slid over my pink head and back down as I slid my hand back down.

I tugged at my nipple, eliciting a deep throated moan from my lips before letting go and letting my left hand travel down my body. I wrapped my hand around my cock, using both hands to jack myself off. I felt the ripples of pleasure echo through me as I released my cock and let my free hand tug gently on my hairless balls. It felt so good to finally let go and enjoy myself as I freed my balls, sliding my fingers along my taint as I tickled my hole. I could hear another moan escape my lips as I slowly pushed my middle finger into my hole, searching for that sweet spot deep inside me. I had always known I liked having things up my ass and Rose would oblige me with toys and things but I always knew that if I were with a man, I would be a bottom. But it wasn't Rose I was thinking about.

Ecstasy rocketed through me as I pushed that spot deep inside of me, making my eyes squeeze shut and my dick grow harder. Suddenly I thought about Akando. I thought about him roughly shoving him hard cock up my hole and making me his bitch. I moaned as I imagined me on my back as he mercilessly rammed into my hole. I hadn't noticed that I'd added another finger into my ass until I was already 3 fingers in and it felt so good. I was now a jumbled mess of groans, grunts, and moans as image after image of Akando slamming into me invaded my mind. At this point, my hand was flying over my cock, pulling me closer and closer to the edge. In my mind, he would smile that sexy smile of his, laced with sex and innuendo before capturing my mouth in a kiss that stole my breath away. I knew he was getting closer when he moaned into my mouth, his hips slapping hard against my bubble butt. I let my fingers in my hole do their magic, speeding up to match the pace of the hand on my cock. I could almost see his face when he pulled from my lips, looked in my eyes and groaned, "I'm gonna cum!" as he fills my hole with his burning hot seed.

I let my fingers grazed across my prostate one more time before I could feel my orgasm approaching. It started at my toes, numbing them as the orgasm raced up my body, my balls drawing up into me as volleys of cum shot through my dick and coating the wall in front of me. I was seeing stars and if I could breathe, I knew I would be choking on my own moans.

After catching my bearings, I rinsed off and turned the water off, stepping out of the shower and into the dingy motel bathroom. It wasn't much but it was the only place I could find in the Canadian wilderness. I was at least an hour and a half away from any major city and I needed the desolate solitude of nature to get my head straight. Even so, I still didn't know what my final decision was. How could I choose between them? Both were amazing in their own way. Rosalie was a bitch but she was also loyal, confident, and self-assured. But Akando was honest, independent, and challenging. Rose made me aim for more in life while Akando makes me want to be a better person. Rose valued me for my strength and allowed me to be a man but Akando values my opinion and urges me to speak and think more. They both also had their faults though. Rosalie was vain, selfish, and jealous while Akando was guarded, unrelenting, and had a tendency to run when faced with something he can't handle.

I stepped into the room, the dirty mauve walls sad and depressing, as I trailed water and confusion behind me. I rummaged around in my bag, searching for something comfortable to wear. It seemed that in my haste to leave, I had grabbed mostly shirts and clothes too dressy to sit around a motel room in. Finally I found some silk pajama bottoms Rosalie had bought for me. As I pulled them out, something small and heavy fell out and hit the floor with a thump. When I glanced down, I realized it was my cellphone I'd long abandoned. I did find it strange that I hadn't heard it buzzing from my bag; that Alice had given up on trying to talk to me. But as I picked it up and pressed the button, I realized why I hadn't heard the phone. It was off. Then I remembered that I'd cut it off while I was hunting.

As I turned the phone on, a photo of Rose and I in Madrid popping up, reminders started springing up one right after the other, each from a member of my family. They had called a lot and I figured now was as good a time as any to face them. I scrolled through the lists of voice mails to the first one sent by Alice and pressed play. If I was going to call them, I should at least know what I was up against.

But when the message played and Alice's frantic voice filled my ears, all hope of a quick conversation was quickly chased away. As a cold numbness sank into my bones, ice rushing through my veins, freezing me to the core, I let the phone slide from my fingers and fall to the ground. And even still, I could here her voice playing on repeat in my mind.

_ "Exodus has kidnapped Akando!"_ She screamed.

The message had been sent 6 days ago.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

So there you have it. Because I never intended the interlude to be as long as it was, it took me longer to get to finishing this one. So because of the change of date, I've decided that Wednesday will now be the update day until the end of the story which is probably only like 2 more chapters and an epilogue. I hope you all have been enjoying the story so far cuz I've enjoyed writing it for you.

Next chapter, we'll find out what Akando has endured in the week since his abduction and i'm telling you now, it's not pleasant. Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	10. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

*WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS INTENSE VIOLENCE AND RAPE. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.

**Akando:**

I groaned as I rolled unto my back, every muscle in my body protesting the movement. I felt stiff and there was a slight ache as I shifted my weight. I cracked my eyes open, taking in my surroundings. It took a moment before the cobwebs of incomprehension slipped away and I was finally able to see. I was in a dark room that looked a lot like a prison cell. It was floor to ceiling dark cobblestone, covered in a fine layer of mold. The air was cold and moist around me and the coldness of the floor seeped into my bones, chilling me from the inside out. It was rather dark in the small room but I could see bars covering one of the walls, keeping me in. In the distance, I could hear voices but they were too far off to hear properly. The smell of stale air and urine hovered over me and I tried hard not to breathe the fetid odor in. I felt cold, something I hadn't felt in a long time and fear gripped me as I realized I was completely naked. With wide eyes, I scrambled across the room, searching for anything that would cover my dignity but as I ran towards the bars, something snapped me back by the neck, wrenching me back and knocking me off my feet. My back hurt where it met the hard ground and my head throbbed from it's connect. I moaned as my hands rose up to touch my throat, but instead of flesh, my tired fingers met cold hard metal. There was a thick steel band fastened around my neck, so tight every time I swallowed, my Adam's apple scrapped painfully against the unrelenting metal. I also noticed the chain connected to it. As I followed each link, it led me to the wall it was connected to. I grabbed the chain, pulling with all my might but it didn't relent and I felt what little energy I had left drain from me as I slumped back down the cold stone wall.

I became aware of the familiar pressure pushing down on my bladder, signalling my need to pee. I searched around the room for a toilet but all I found was a large rusted brass pot in the corner of the room, pushed against the shadows. It was up against the wall containing the only window in the room. It was really just a small square cut into the stone and it too was barred. Hope bloomed in my chest at the possibility that I could maybe signal someone outside to help me. I slowly raised myself up and made my way to the chamber pot, the smell of urine growing stronger the nearer I came to it. I had to cover my nose to keep myself from gagging as I glanced down into the pot and relieved myself into it. With a shake, I maneuvered myself over to the window, careful not to trip over the length of chain attached to my collar. I had to stand on my tip toes to barely see out of it but as I looked out into the desolate darkness I realized my hope was a giant let down. All I could see was a long stretch of snow covered forest and no signs of life at all. I began to feel tears well up in my throat and no matter how hard I tried to fight them, tears began pouring from my eyes.

I was stuck here with no way out. I felt too weak to change and somehow I knew phasing wouldn't be a good idea. I was starving, I didn't know where I was and I didn't know if anyone was looking for me. But there was more to it. For so long, I had held back my tears and tried to be strong but they were now pouring from me like rain, silver streaks moving down my face as the weight of unexpressed emotion escaped me. Everything I held inside of me broke like a dam and soon I was openly sobbing. I cried for the pain of losing my family's love, I cried for the life I once had, and I cried for the hopelessness of having a new life. I didn't know how long I wept but I cried until no more tears came out and the saltiness made my face taut and drawn.

"Akando?" A voice asked. It sounded raspy and hollow. I was instantly on alert, all traces of sadness gone as I moved towards the bars. "Is that you?"

"Who are you?" I asked suspiciously. I found it strange that someone would know me down here.

"Even after all these years, I would know your voice anywhere." It said. Even in it's low whispers, the voice sounded distinctly masculine and vaguely familiar. "I'm sorry they got you."

"I don't have time for this, who are you and why am I down here?" I demanded, suspicion being instantly replaced with anger. I felt used. Like I was a part of someones sick games.

"Trust me, the only thing we do have down here is time." He chuckled, the sound seeming to rattle in his chest and a hacking wetness permeated his words. Suddenly the color drained from my face as I felt myself grow even colder. I knew who it was.

"Hosea?"

I could hear the smile in his voice as he replied.

"Not always the sharpest but I forgave it cuz your ass was something special."

"What the hell are we doing down here?! Where is here?!" I asked him, trying to draw closer to the bars.

"We're at one of the places Exodus uses as a base of operations. We're somewhere in Oregon and we're here because they're probably going to kill us."

My mind was instantly flooded with images. Me running from the Cullen's house, being ambushed in the woods, and Barnabas sticking a needle in my arm. I had thought I was already dead but if I were, I was clearly in Hell. Something struck a chord in me.

"Why would they kill you?" I asked him. "You're one of them."

"Yea well, Barnabas is only so forgiving." He replied.

"What do you mean?"

"He could forgive that I had a relationship with you. He said I didn't have a choice, that you were the devil in sheep's wool or something but he couldn't forgive that I had helped you escape 'enlightenment' as he calls it."

"None of this makes any sense!" I said angrily. Hosea's words were confusing me. How had he helped me? I haven't seen him since we parted ways. "How did you help me?"  
"Wait, you honestly didn't know?" He said. I could hear the surprise in his voice.

"Didn't know what?!"

"That I was the one who was texting you. Every time we made a move towards you or gained new intel on your location, I texted you so you could run. I thought you knew..."

"That was you?" The words slowing seeped into my brain, connecting threads that were left unraveled.

"Yup. As a matter of fact, the night he caught you, he found me trying to warn you so he threw me down here, And let me tell you, 2 days without much food and water is not pleasant."

"You've been down here for 2 days?" I asked.

"Unfortunately." He responded. "So have you."  
"I was out for 2 days?! How?"

"I can only assume Barnabas injected you with something?" He asked. I could tell by the closeness of his voice that he was close to the bars as well.

"Yea.." I said, suddenly aware of the pain in my arm, blotted back and blue with bruises.

"It was vampire venom. Not the same strain that we use to give us strength but actual venom. It weakens shifters like you."

I lay my head against the cold wall as I raked my fingers through my dirty, matted hair. I also became aware of the strong scent of blood in the air. The venom had worked at dulling my senses but now that I was more alert, the smell was unmistakable. I knew it wasn't coming from me as I had no open wounds.

"Hosea...are you hurt?"

"Nah, nothing I can't handle." He chuckled, the hollow, wet, rattling noise filling the room again. I knew that sound. The called it a death rattle. Hosea was dying and not in the same way I was. He was actually dying. I hauled myself up, sticking my arm into the bars and twisting so that I could angle it towards the direction I heard his voice coming from.

"Hosea, give me your hand." I commanded.

"Wha..."

"Give me your goddamn hand!" I shouted. Even though we weren't together anymore, he still meant a lot to me and I refuse to let him die like this. I could hear movement in the next room and the sound of metal hitting metal. Seconds later, I felt Hosea's cold fingertips touch mine.

"That's as far as I can go." He panted. The action seemed to have exhausted him.

"That's good enough." I said as I closed my eyes. I didn't know if I could do it in this state but as my eyes closed shut, I let my mind open. Instantly I felt my hands warm as I pushed my life force into him. I was never good at healing but I knew I only needed to do it enough to keep him alive until we were saved somehow. As my spirit left me and entered him, I could feel a chill creeping into the rest of me and my limbs felt heavy. I pulled myself away just as my body dropped back to the floor. I could hear Hosea on the other side gasping. He sounded better.

"Why did you do that?!" He said. I'd expected him to sound happy or grateful but he sounded more annoyed.

"Why not, you were dying!"

"But you needed to save you strength. One of has to get out of here alive!" He shouted.

"What is your problem!" I shouted back. "I wasn't just going to sit here and let you-"

My rant was cut off as a door opened and light spilled into the hallway before us. I could see the silhouette of two men as their shoes clicked on the stone as they made their way towards us.

"So the lover's are having a little spat." Barnabas said as he came closer to us. He was still wearing the same leather pants and boots he was wearing before but the jacket and sword were gone. Now he was clad in a tight white tank top. In other circumstances, I would have said he looked pretty hot but with a malicious sneer on his lips, it ran my blood cold. He looked over at Hosea and his eyes were instantly alight with a mixture of intrigue and surprise. "And I see you healed him. I didn't think you would have the energy but you've really only made it easier for me."

The man next to him was average in every way. He was of average height and build, only slightly muscular with short cropped brown hair and brown eyes. The expression he wore was indifferent and disinterested. He was completely dressed in the Exodus uniform of leather pants and jacket. The only exception was the gun strapped to his hip.

"What do you want Barnabas?" I asked. The healing had took a heavier toll on me than I thought and I could feel weariness seeping deep into my being. "Come to kill me?"

"Not quite." He smirked. "For as much as I would like to, I have orders to keep you alive. It seems that my father wants to study you."

"Study me?" I asked, my heavy head rolling towards him. "What am I, your Science Fair project?"

He laughed haughtily before replying. "Actually yes. We're going to cut you open and dissect you like the insect you are. See what makes you tick. And you will be alive for it. You will wish I had killed you, but not tonight. Tonight, I'm going to conduct a little experiment of my own." He finished this statement by reaching into his boot and pulling out a small knife. It was no bigger than a penknife but it had the same white blade as their other weapons.

Honestly, I was afraid. How could I not be? I was naked, cold, and weak and the prospect of being cut open terrified me. I no longer had the energy to be brave. I watched as Barnabas turned towards the other man with an upraised hand. The man reached towards his belt, the sound of jingling filling the room as he passed the keys to Barnabas.

"Tonight, i'm going to see what was so special about you. Why one of my men betrayed his family for a piece of ass." He said as he slowly opened the door of the bars. The sound of the rusted hinges of the door screeched as they protested, the sound deafening in the echoes of my cell. I wanted to run towards him and rip his throat out but I couldn't find the strength to move. He tossed the keys back to the other man and nodded towards him. The man opened the door to Hosea's cell and I could hear a struggle inside.

"What's going to happen now is, i'm going to fuck you." Barnabas said as he unzipped his pants. I watched him palm the bulge in his pants with a smirk. "And you're not going to fight me. If you do, my friend Francis will kill Hosea." I could hear the sound of him cocking his gun. "And don't think about phasing. You'll likely only succeed in cutting your own head off."

"Don't you fucking touch me!" I said pushing myself further into the wall.

Barnabas sneered like I was dirt on his boots as he strode closer to me. "Good. I prefer you to have a little fight in you."

Suddenly pain shot through my arm as Barnabas stepped on it hard, pressing his foot down forcefully and twisting. I heard a loud crack and I screamed so loudly, I thought my voice would die out. Instantly, I felt him rain punches down on me. I tried to raise my good hand up to stop him but he simply grabbed it and broke two fingers on my left hand. I had never felt so much pain in my life. I could feel tears wet my eyes as blood began to trickle down my neck from the metal of the collar biting into my flesh. Suddenly, my face was pressed against the cold, dirty ground as I felt him on top me. Roughly he grabbed my hair, pulling my head back.

"Oh how beautiful you look all broken and crying." He said as he leaned in and licked the streaks of my tears. I didn't have any time to respond before he smashed my head to the ground. Again I heard a crack and instantly blood began pouring from my nose. I didn't know what hurt me more, my arm, my hand, or my nose but my body felt like one big wound. I could vaguely hear Hosea in the next room screaming my name but oddly, my mind could only focus on Emmett. I prayed to him to save to me, to take me away from this place.

Barnabas leaned in towards my ear, licking it seductively while roughly grabbing my ass. "Mmmm, this ass is so perfect."

I tried hard to block out his words but it grew harder as I heard the sound of him slipping his pants off and the feel of his hot, hard cock slapping my ass. It didn't feel big, it felt enormous and cold fear laced through my body at the idea of what was about to happen. I felt him roughly part my cheeks and the huge blunt head of his cock against my tight hole. I braced myself for the pain that I knew would come but nothing could prepare me for the white hot pain that shot through my body as he roughly shoved his cock into me. It sent sharp, blinding heat up through my body, the pain so intense I thought I could feel it in my eyebrows. I could hear screaming coming from somewhere in the building and it took only a minute for me to realize the screams were my own. I could hear Hosea crying from my tortures and Barnabas' laughs as he relentlessly plowed into my body. I could feel blood dripping from every part of my body and a hot wetness underneath me. I had pissed myself.

I couldn't fight him. Even if I had the energy, I no longer had the will. This was it. It was the last act of humiliation he could have inflicted on me and I broke. I wept, I screamed, and finally I lay there silently, letting him take my pride from me. And as darkness seized me, I closed my eyes and embraced whatever was left of me. And then I slept.

* * *

**Emmett:**

"What's taking them so long?!" I said frustratingly pacing. I had arrived home last night after I had heard Alice's message and I came home as fast as I could.

"Calm down Em." Alice said in a comforting tone. I had expected her to be upset with me for disappearing but she wasn't. Her concern for Akando outweighed her annoyance towards me. I was also surprised no one asked me why Rose wasn't with me but that could have more to do with the fact everyone was scattered. "They're coming back from Chicago, it'll take a while."

She was referring to Carlisle and Esme who were coming home from invading an Exodus safe-house. Carlisle has a lot of connections and he was able to get the location of several of the bases that Exodus frequently used. Bella and Jacob had returned hours after me from a base in Georgia. Alice and Jasper had ransacked a bunker in LA the day before I came home. And this had been going on the entire week I was away. They'd managed to go to 10 bases but weren't able to find much. Each base was ironically stationed inside of abandoned churches, mosques, and synagogues and when they encountered members, they incarcerated some of them but others weren't so lucky. Using their special weapons, many of us had sustained injuries but none of them were so severe we had to stop looking.

This mission weighed heavily on Carlisle's heart. He hated to hurt other vampires so inflicting harm on humans was like a nail to his heart but he knew if the choice was between them or his family, he would have to make that difficult decision. If the situation arose, he tried not to hurt them severely but sometimes it couldn't be helped. But it was all made a little easier by the fact that after years of hunting the supernatural and injecting themselves with venom, many of Exodus' members had been driven nearly mad.

Jasper also had a hard time with it because even though they were stronger than average humans, they still bled. His only small consolation was that after years of injecting themselves with vampire venom, their blood smelled less than appetizing.

I, on the other hand, was a complete mess. When I wasn't worried about what they were doing to him, I was being self-deprecating in my own pity and regret for not answering the phone. This was all my fault. If I had stayed home, we would've been able to save him days ago.

"I know." I said, dropping into the nearest chair, burying my head in my hands. "I just...I feel responsible, y'know?"

"Yea, we know." Jasper replied. "But you can't beat yourself up about this. None of this is your fault."

"Besides, you're here now and that's all that matters." Alice said smiling.

"But I..." Instantly a wave of calm swept over me that made me want to lay back and relax. It felt nice to have my worries disappear but in the back of my mind, I knew these weren't my true feelings. It was like I knew I _should_ be worried but I couldn't muster the emotion. Suddenly, I turned on Jasper, allowing my own anger to wash away his calm.

"Stop it Jasper!" I said, standing up.

"I was just trying to help!" He said back. I knew we were all on edge and ready to crack at any moment.

"I'm sorry man," I replied defeated. "I know you were only trying to help."

"Emmett?" Alice asked, standing from the love seat they were sitting on. Even now, she looked chic in a bright red sequined, long sleeve crop top and high-waisted red pencil skirt. Her hair was swept away from her face, which was free of makeup save for her deep plum lips. "Can I speak with you for a minute...in the other room?"

I stood up and walked towards the living room, Alice's heels clicking softly behind me. I entered the living room and fell onto the sofa, roughly scrubbing my hands over my face. Alice stood in the door way gazing at me, a beam of the early afternoon sunlight streaming through one of the windows and hitting her. I don't know which sparkled more brightly, her skin or her top, but she looked dazzling. After a second, she sauntered into the room and sat next to me. I looked up as she placed her small hand on my arm. The contrast between her tiny doll-like hands against my huge bicep looked almost comical and it took everything in my not to laugh.

"He's going to be okay." She said finally.

"How do you know that?" I said, searching her eyes for the answer. "You can't see him."

"That's how I know." She said with a small smile.

"What do you mean?" I asked with confusion.

"Well, there were about 30 different locations on that Exodus list. I was able to narrow it down by looking into our futures. If they disappeared, it meant there was a possibility he was there. If not, I saw us going there with no positive results. Most of the time, we found other shifters there. Which is good that we got to help others in the process but it's also how I know Akando is still alive."

I was still confused by what she was saying. How does any of that prove he was still alive? I was about to answer when she spoke again.

"Do you remember when he first came here and I told you your future disappeared?" She asked me.

"Yea..." I responded.

"It was because I knew he was going to play a huge part in your future. Sure, I lost chunks of everyone else's future when he interacted with us but yours almost completely disappeared. And it still is."

"So you're saying..."

"I'm saying he has to be alive and we have to save him, otherwise I would be able to see your future and I don't."

"That actually makes sense." I said finally.

"Of course it does, I said it." She said with a grin. "Now, I'm not going to ask you where Rosalie is because I saw the fight before it happened."

"You did?" I asked surprised. "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Because Em, neither one of you were happy and you hadn't been for a long time. When Akando came, I saw an opportunity for you both to be happy. And even though I can't see your future, I can see hers and she's going to be just fine."

"Where is she?" I asked. I hoped that we had made the right decision by splitting up and even if it weren't with me, I still wanted her to be happy.

"With the Denali's in Alaska."

"Makes sense..."

"Don't make me repeat myself. Of course it makes sense." She said nudging me. "Now do you want to tell me about you and Akando?"

"What do you mean?" I asked her. I didn't think I was ready to admit my feelings out loud just yet but I could tell by the way she was looking at me that she knew something. Alice always knows everything.

"C'mon Emmett, i'm not blind. You have feelings for him."

"I do not!" I denied but even to my ears, the lie was plain to hear.

"You do." She said with finality. "And it's fine. We all expected as much."

"Wait, what?"

"We all took bets to see how long it would take you to realize you felt something for him. Carlisle and Esme were reticent to participate because of their feelings towards Rosalie but when I told them I saw her happiness, they joined in. So, I take it that since Rose is gone, you've come to terms with how you feel about him?" There was a hopeful look on her face that made me smile.

"Yea, Alice." I said with a chuckle. "I have feelings for him."

Suddenly she was up and squealing. Quickly she turned towards the kitchen and yelled. "Jasper, you owe me a shopping trip to Paris!" I could hear him chuckle from the other room.

"So have you told him yet?"

"No." I said looking away. "I left to make sure my feelings were genuine and Alice...they are. I like him. I like him **a lot**!"

"Do you think you might love him?" She asked, suddenly serious.

"I think I-"

"We're home!" Carlisle's voice echoed throughout the house.

Alice and I stood and walked towards the kitchen where Carlisle and Esme were waiting. They had both obviously fed while there out and they both smiled widely as I entered the kitchen.

"Emmett!" Esme said, sweeping me up in a warm hug and a quick peck on the cheek. "I've missed you."

"I missed you too, Esme." I responded.

"I trust you sorted everything out?" Carlisle asked, patting my on the shoulder.

"I did." I nodded.

"Good." He responded. "Because there's only one place left on the list."

"So you think this is where they're keeping him?" I asked looking at the list. It had the names of random towns and coordinates next to them. All of them were scratched out but one. "In Bend, Oregon?"

"Let's hope so." Jasper said.

"Okay," Carlisle said glancing around the room. "I hope everyone's ready. Jasper, go get Edward and Jacob. We head out at nightfall."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

So originally this chapter was supposed to end in Akando's rescue but with everything else going on, there really wasn't time so I guess now the series is going to be an extra chapter long. Lol. Oh well. The rape scene was hard for me to write only because I knew I wanted Akando to block most of it out but I wanted there to be enough awareness so that the audience knew what was happening. At first I was going to make Barnabas a religious fanatic but while writing him, I inadvertently made him a sadist. I guess it'll make getting rid of him a lot easier. And we also solved the mystery of the mystery texter (although I don't think it was much of a surprise really.)

The next chapter will be split between perspectives but by the end they will merge so that the chapter after that will be exclusively Akando again.


	11. Chapter 9

******CHAPTER 9**

**Akando:**

I could hear his footsteps retreating away from my still body and I knew he wasn't happy. It had been 5 days since the first time Barnabas raped me and everyday, he would come to my cell and do it again. At first, it was hard to bear. I'd only been fucked twice in my life and Barnabas was bigger than the guys I'd been with. Even now, I can feel his semen leaking from me, mixing with the blood I knew was there as well. My body was caked in it. It made me feel dirty and used. I knew that if I were to ever get out of here alive Emmett would never want me like this. I'm damaged in more ways than one.

Barnabas seemed to draw pleasure from my pain so every time he came to me, something ended up broken. That's why he's angry now. I stopped making noise, stop crying out in pain as he dislocated my arm or broke another finger. The pain no longer bothered me. It had become so ingrained in who I was now that without the pain, I wouldn't even know if I was still alive. My whole body was one big broken bruise. My left arm had finally healed but it looked twisted and wrong...so wrong. I could barely move it and my 4 broken fingers were all but useless to me now. A part of me wished that the next time he came down here, he would kill me. I was in too much pain. I may have gotten used to pain but it wasn't something I enjoyed. The rapings were getting more and more brutal since I refused to give him the satisfaction to cry out and I was starving. The food they'd given us was barely enough for a human to survive on, let alone a shifter and what little energy I had, I used to slowly heal Hosea. I didn't know what their plans were for him but I knew his life, like mine, dangled on a very fine line.

All I could do was curl in a ball and pray. I was never a religious person, never really even thought about Heaven or Hell but this existence I'd come to live has proven to me that Hell is a place on Earth. I prayed that the Cullen's were looking for me, that I was important enough to them to deserve their energy. I prayed that my family stayed safe. Sure, they'd tossed me out on the street but they were still my family and a part of me still loved them. I prayed that Hosea would make it out alive. I felt responsible for him being here. It's because he chose to help me that he's down here with me. I prayed that his sister, Anna, still had enough humanity left to convince Barnabas to let him go. From my experience, Barnabas was not one for mercy and I knew if we didn't get out of here soon, I didn't know how long Barnabas' patience would last.

But I had a plan. It was a half-baked, half- cocked, probably going to get myself killed plan but I would rather die fighting than go down like a wounded animal, cowering in the shadows and whimpering. There were huge holes in my plan, even Hosea informed me of this but we were going to die anyway, so why not at least try?

My healing plus his own natural healing processes have brought Hosea to full health. This is good; he's an integral part of the plan. The next time Barnabas came to rape me, I would convince him I needed a bath. I know it was getting harder for him to touch me when I was covered in layers of filth. I would convince him that in order to be cleaned, he would have to remove my collar. He would protest at first but when I reminded him I was weak and he was strong, the stroke to his ego would encourage him to believe. Then Francis, the guy he always brought down with him would go into Hosea's cell and threaten him with a gun. After Barnabas released me, to assure him of his power, I would suggest manacles instead to give him some security. That's when Hosea would fight Francis for the gun and hopefully knock him out, wound Barnabas, and we haul ass out of here. The plan wasn't perfect but it's all we've got.

"And so that's when I kissed him." Hosea said. The last few days, we've made it a point to distract each other with stories of our past. At first, he would cry for my pain but when I told him not to, that he was only fueling Barnabas' pleasure, he'd made himself remain quiet throughout the ordeal. Afterwards, he would try and restore normalcy by not talking about it, something I had to drill into his head. The first couple of times he would ask me afterwards what he'd done to me and try and comfort me but that only made me feel worse so I told him to distract me. From then on, he would just talk. I think he knew I wasn't listening to most of it but he still kept talking and to tell you the truth, it was soothing.

"What did he do?" I finally said. I wasn't listening to him but he'd told me the story before when we were still together. It was the story of when he came out to his best friend in a big way. Even though I hadn't screamed out, my throat still felt raw and sore as I spoke.

"He punched me." Hosea responded with a chuckle. "Called me a 'faggot'. The next day, he told the rest of the team and of course, the school."

He tried to make it sound light but I knew the event was harder on him than he would admit. In one day, he went from being the popular jock to the school pariah. His family had to move and he had to change schools. But through it all, his family supported him. Anna especially, stuck by him. Which was why it confused me why she'd chose to abandon him now especially when he'd sacrificed so much for her. It had been her choice to join Exodus. Hosea had never believed in their holy battle to cleanse the world of 'evil' but he joined to watch and protect her. And now she'd turned her back on him.

Then it hit me. I didn't know Hosea's real name. When we were together, he went by Hosea and we broke up when I found out about Exodus. I hadn't seen him since so the topic had never come up but now that one small detail meant a lot to me. I didn't know much about prophets and saints but from what he told me, Hosea was a prophet of doom but who held the promise of restoration. He'd married a prostitute and was known as the greatest prophet of his generation. I didn't know how their names were chosen but Hosea seemed like an odd prophet to want to be named after.

"Hosea?" I said hesitantly. I didn't know why I was so nervous to ask him but the question seemed overly personal. I knew nearly everything about him but it was the one thing I didn't know and the knowledge seemed almost forbidden.

"Yea?" He responded. There was a scratchiness in his voice that told me that during my ruminations, he had fallen asleep.

"What's your real name?"

I could hear him moving around and then there was silence. It hung heavy above our heads, both commanding and stifling. At first, I thought he wasn't going to answer but he suddenly took a deep breath.

"God, it's been so long I'd almost forgot." He said finally. "But my real name is Lucas."

* * *

**Emmett:**

I was a mess. And everyone knew it.

Jasper had to take the wheel from me and drive because I couldn't concentrate. It was a problem. I tried listening to music, playing games on my phone, I even opened a book but nothing could distract me. We were on our way to Bend, Oregon where Akando was being held. Which was the reason I was a mess. I didn't know what I was walking into. I didn't even know if he was still alive. It's strange to me that I feel so strongly towards him and I've only known him for about a month and a half but everything in me was pulling me towards him. The closer we got to Oregon, the more my nerves overwhelmed me. But it wasn't just the fact that we were going into battle that made me nervous, it was also the fact that I would get to see him again.

I rolled my own eyes at the thought but it's true. I wanted him...hard! I'd had time to think about it and I knew for sure I wanted to be with him. We complemented each other so well and now that he was a part of my life, I couldn't imagine being without him. Did I love him? I don't know. It felt that way but how could I be sure. How did I know this wasn't just hormones or sexual attraction? No, I'd been sexually attracted to many people and none of them made me want to go to the ends of the earth and rip the universe apart to save them. Just Akando...and well, Rosalie.

I looked out into the darkness of the night as the trees whizzed past the window, blurring as we flew down the highway. We were in my Jeep with Jasper and Alice in the front seat and me in the back. Behind us, Carlisle, Esme, Jacob, and Edward were in Carlisle's Mercedes. One thing I miss about being human is the ability to sleep. If I could sleep, I could have at least 8 hours of silence, 8 completely stress free hours but instead i'm stuck here, rolling around in my own thoughts and regrets. We had been driving for about 5 hours and already I was getting a bit stir crazy. Instantly, Jasper's calming energy washed over me like rain and this time, instead of shrinking away from it I embraced it. I let it fill my body down to my bones. I relished it. I glanced into the rear view mirror, meeting Jasper's eyes. I mouthed a silent thank you as he simply nodded, returning to his previous conversation with Alice. I was so engrossed in my own thoughts, I didn't realize the conversation had stopped until Alice was calling my name.

"Huh?" I asked confused.

"I said, he'll be fine. We'll bring him home and the two of you can get...reacquainted." She replied with a smirk.

If it were possible for me to blush, I would be bright red right now. "Stop it Alice, I don't even know if he likes me like that."

"He does." Jasper replied with a smirk, not taking his eyes off the road.

"How do you know?" I asked. I know there was a hopeful tone in my voice but I didn't have the energy to keep it out.

"Trust me." He said with a sense of finality. "I know."

"Oh yea." I responded dumbly.

I lay back into the trucks seat and for once I let myself be happy. Happy that there was hope. For me. For Akando. For us.

* * *

**Akando:**

The heavy metallic clang of the rusty bar separating tore me out of my sleep. I was exhausted but this was nothing new, lately I was always exhausted. But when I looked out of the tiny barred window, it was still pitch black outside. I rolled over on the cold stone floor, trying to stretch my stiff muscles as Barnabas entered my cell. I expected him to rape me again so I turned away from him and begin to let my mind relax but I was yanked back when he grabbed me by the hair and roughly pulled me back up.

"No today whore." He sneered. "Besides it's not as fun after you're broken in. No, today we're sending you to our main headquarters. Today is probably your last day alive."

The confident smile on his face told me he was telling the truth. And if today was the day they were going to send me off to be studied, then that meant today had to be the day I got the hell out of here. I turned towards Barnabas and I could see him appraise me. Even the thought of him looking at me made me sick to my stomach,

"Well, don't you think I should be cleaned?" I asked him. It was time to put the plan into action. I could tell the ruckus had awaken Hosea and at the mention of my cleanliness, I could hear him shuffle and casually clear his throat.

"What are you talking about?" He asked me, leaning his muscular frame against the wall by the door.

"I just think it would be a little disrespectful if you gave me to your father covered in dirt, cum, and blood." I said, using my most convincing voice.

He looked at me for a moment before he started to laugh. "Then you've obviously never met my father!" He said looking over at Francis. Francis nervously laughed with Barnabas but it was clear he'd either never met his father or didn't know much about him but he laughed anyway.

"Oh." I replied. I needed to think fast or the plan would fall apart before it had even started. An idea struck me. It was risky but at this point, any risk was necessary. "But won't he have a problem knowing you had sex with an abomination?" I asked carefully. Barnabas shifted his weight, making his blonde hair shine in the fluorescent lighting. The lights cast a shadow over his beautiful face making his features look sharp and menacing.

"And who's going to tell him?" He responded, all hint of humor gone.

"No one." I replied quickly, willing myself to sound terrified. "But the evidence is clearly written all over my body..."

He paused and I thought he was going to brush off my suggestion or hit me, but instead he turned towards Francis and whispered in his ear. Francis nodded, his eyes quickly cutting over to me before turning away and walking upstairs.

"I'm going to undo your collar and when Francis gets back with soap and water, you're going to clean yourself." He said walking towards me, the keys in hand. "And don't try anything funny. I'm not going to even threaten to kill the blood traitor over there since his trial is also today and trust me, with his sister as our star witness of his crimes, today is his last day too." I could feel the heat pouring from his body as his bulk engulfed me. His lips were so close to my ear, blowing his sweet breath over them, causing a shiver to run up my spine. He must of seen this as me finding pleasure in the gesture, because he roughly grabbed my ass and whispered in my ear.

"I do wish I could have one more go at you." He said, the smile on his face heard through his voice. He lightly nipped my ear before stretching his arms over my shoulders, the jingling of the keys so close to my ear. Just as he was about to stick the key in, a loud banging sound echoed throughout the building, followed by shouts and the sound of glass breaking.

"What the hell?" Barnabas said, pulling back from me and turning towards the noise. I released the breath I didn't even know I had been holding as I felt my little piece of hope disappear. I could feel a cold, heavy weight settle into the pit of stomach as Barnabas walked through the cell doors and closed them behind him. That was it, my one chance. Gone,

"Don't move." He replied, racing up the stairs. I couldn't even laugh at the irony of his words.

"What do you think is going on up there?" Hosea asked, as the banging and shouts persisted.

I didn't answer him. I couldn't answer him. I felt sick, nauseous, and dizzy and I could feel my feet fall from under me. I landed on my knees hard but my mind didn't register the pain. My back fell against the stone wall, scratching me as Ii slid down it. I was actually going to die. The thought played over and over in my head. My mortality was never really an issue for me. I knew that if I kept phasing, I could almost live forever. I was fast, strong, and nothing made by man could hurt me so the thought that a man would be the one to end my life. The realization settled over my shoulders holding me down. The air seemed cold but thick and it was growing harder for me to breathe. My limbs were heavy with exhaustion and my mind was worn out. I lay my head back against the wall, darkness closing in on all sides of me. I closed my eyes, letting the grip of unconsciousness take hold of me. But before it seized me completely, the door at the top of the stairs banged open loudly. I struggled to open my eyes but everything was hazy and wobbled. I could hear Barnabas' footsteps sounding quickly down the stairs. But when he walked into the beam of light in front of my cell, it wasn't Barnabas' face I saw.

It was Emmett's.

And I finally let go.

* * *

**Emmett:**

I glanced around our surroundings, listening intently to the sounds of the night. The sun would be rising in a couple of hours so we needed to move fast. Not that exposure was going to be a problem. The coordinates led us to a church dead center in the middle of the woods. Jasper said the area had once been a small town but a tornado apparently wiped out every building but the church. The locals saw this as miracle, refused to tear it down and as time passed, no one ever entered the church until apparently Exodus bought it. From the outside, the medium-sized stone building looked abandoned save for the orange light spilling from the high windows. Instead of the usual stain glass, though, clear panes of glass were reinforced by thick black bars. I didn't know if they were trying to keep people in or out but it made the place look more like a prison.

The stone was a dark grey, the main structure was a large rectangle that tapered up into a steepled roof with a huge, ornate cross at its peaks. Lush, thick vines of ivy climbed up every surface of the structure making it look more in place with the forest. There was a long, winding dirt road that led from the main street.

We were now crouched behind a bundle of trees, out of sight of the guard watching the building, but still allowing us a clear view of the church. I was ready. My body was taut and ready to spring at the instant but I knew Carlisle would want a clear cut plan. It was torture sitting there talking when I knew Akando was only feet away.

"So the guard looks rather strong." Carlisle said, gesturing to the large black man standing sentinel in front of the church. His muscles bulged out of his black leather vest as he stood alert with a large axe in his hands. "Emmett, it'll be up to you to take him out as quickly as possible. Jasper will be your backup if you need it."

I nodded my head in the affirmative. I didn't know if the guy standing there had hurt Akando and honestly I didn't care. All of them were my enemy; they had all hurt someone I love and I don't stand for that. If it meant killing a human, so be it.

"After he's incapacitated, we enter the building." Carlisle continued, every listening raptly to his every word. "Now, we don't know what it's like in there but I can hear a lot of heartbeats so it will be chaos. By the smell of them, most of them are human. A few of them smell human but different."

"Those must be the ones who've been injecting themselves with the venom." Jasper interjected.

"Exactly what I was thinking." Carlisle agreed. "Herd the humans into a corner and watch them." Carlisle said, gesturing towards Edward.

"What should I do?" Esme asked, her voice sounding too sweet during strategizing the murder of several people.

"I want you and Alice to remain at our flank." He replied. "You two are fast so you can intercept any attack aimed at us."

At this, Alice and Esme made eye contact before nodding.

"It will be up to me, Jasper, and Jacob to deal with everyone else." Carlisle continued. "It will be our job to clear a path for Emmett to find Akando. Is everyone clear?"

Everyone nodded as we prepared for our own war.

"Ok. And please, if possible, avoid killing anyone."

On the cue, I was up and charging towards the guard. When I reached him, I raised both fists above my head, intent on knocking him out quickly but somehow he'd anticipated my attack. Quicker than any human I'd met, he twisted to the side, allowing my hands to hurt air. As he maneuvered himself around me, I twisted just as his axe came down. I raised my arm, thinking my flesh would break the human weapon but instead it dug deeply into my skin. I held back the need the scream out as he lifted the axe again. Before the blade could connect, Jasper was on his back in a flash. The brute twisted and turned, trying to buck Jasper off of him and dropping his axe in the process. Finally he grabbed a hold of Jasper's wrist and was about to throw him off when I quickly wrapped my hand around his head and twisted. I heard a crack and a pop as he fell to the ground. Dead.

Jasper climbed to his feet, motioning the others over to us.

"Emmett, are you okay?" Esme asked, concern in her voice as she reached out toward my arm.

"I'm fine." I said, wrenching my arm from her grasp. In truth, it hurt a lot but I could already see it beginning to heal. "Let's go."

I turned towards the door as everyone readied themselves behind me as I lifted my leg and kicked the huge wooden doors open. Inside it was not what I had been expecting. I had pictured rows of leather clad warriors, waiting silently to attack but it wasn't like that at all. Instead of pews, there were rows of long tables covered in all manner of equipment. After a quick scan, I could see test tubes, Bunsen burners, and a wide variety of brightly colored liquids. Sitting at the tables weren't warriors either. They looked more like scientists in their white coats. The ones who stood out most were the 4 people standing where the altar should be, each one clad in black leather. There were 2 girls and 2 guys. One of the girls, a beautiful Latina was the first to move. As fast as lightning, she was on us, I couldn't see a weapon in her hand but she swung like a heavyweight boxer. Faster than I'd ever seen her, Alice was there countering every blow.

Next the other girl, a petite Asian girl was next to move, but before she got too far, Esme had her pinned. One of the guys snarled as he charged at us. I looked to my sides, seeing Jasper and Jacob to my left and Carlisle to my right. The guy coming at us was rather short but had compact muscle on his body. He had a small dagger in his hand as he came at us. Seeing an opportunity, Carlisle charged at him, halting his advance and meeting him halfway and the two enter a brawl. I glanced to the side as Alice was dropping her unconscious opponent. Looking up, she saw that Esme needed her and she was up again, joining the fray.

The last guy was very tall, and a little on the skinny side. He just looked at us at grin, before reaching for his belt. There were small white circular disks going completely around his belt as he pulled 2 of them off. Placing one on his right index finger, he spun the disc around his finger. But before Jasper could move towards him, he let the disc loose as it whizzed through the air. I didn't see it's effect but I could hear Jasper grunt in pain as another whizzed past his head. But like the fighter I knew him to be, he was dodging the discs left and right until he was standing face to face with the hunter. The others had returned to my side, their opponents unconscious at our feet. Alice broke away from the group to help Edward with the scientists as we advanced towards the only other door in the room. Before we could reach the altar though, a man walked through the door. He looked like an Abercrombie model with his golden blonde hair, shining even in the bright fluorescence in the room. His initial look of shock quickly disappeared as he came towards us, grabbing a sword resting on the wall next to the door.

As he drew closer to me, I was assaulted by a smell I was too familiar with. Blood. And not just any blood, I knew it was Akando. Instantly I saw red.

He unsheathed the sword, swiping left and right as I approached. I could feel the lashes as they danced across my torso but I didn't care. I quickly grabbed his wrist, twisting it painfully until he dropped the sword. Grabbing him by the neck, I threw him up against the wall, my face inches from his.

"Where's Akando?" I snarled. I could feel my family at my back but I didn't care. When the bastard grinned at me, I let my anger get the best of me and I twisted the wrist in my hand harder, breaking it in the process. He screamed loudly and it only spurred me further. "Where is he?!"

"Emmett..." someone said behind me but I ignored them.

I could hear his gasping for breath and the rational side of my brain told me he needed to breath to speak so I loosened my grip and I could see him gasp for breath.

"I won't tell you again." I warned. Instead of speaking, he pointed towards the door he'd just left out of.

I turned back at him as he laughed. "So what, are you going to kill me now?"

A part of me wanted to. A part of me wanted to rip him open and hang him with his own entrails but I found a restraint I didn't know I had.

"No." I said calmly, releasing my grip on him and letting him fall to the ground. "At least not now. I won't give you the satisfaction. I will kill you but not as a human."

A look of confusion invaded his features but it instantly became obvious to him as I descended on him, pulling my lips over my teeth as they sank easily into his hot flesh. I felt as his blood rushed into my mouth. It wasn't sweet like blood usually was. It tasted just like him- filthy, dark, and unclean. I drank as much as I could before spitting it out on he floor and letting him fall with it. His face looked drawn and his eyes wide as he lay on the ground muttering 'no'.

I turned away from him and the disapproving glare of my family and I raised down the stairs. At the first stop stood a thick wooden door. I was easily able to knock it open but the instant my feet touched the step into the room, the smell of Akando hit me again like a brick wall. I quickly raced down the stairs and that's when I saw him.

Akando.

And he was in bad shape. I saw him look up at me, smile, and then pass out. I rushed over to the bars just as everyone else was coming down the stairs and with a simple yank, the bars groaned and then tore themselves from the stone wall, raining mortar and dust down on us. I walked over to his still body and I could see bruises peppering his body. And he looked so small; so pale. Carlisle was next to me, bending down to check on him.

"Don't touch him!" I screamed when his hands made contact with Akando. I don't why but the thought of anyone else touching him drove me crazy with anger. I knew what that monster had done to him. I could smell it all over the room and all over his body and it sent spikes of pain and fury through me. I wanted to kill Barnabas. I wanted him to suffer. Carlisle stood back up at my outburst and looked me in the eyes.

"We need to get him out of here Emmett." he said calmly. "He's malnourished, dehydrated, broken, and battered."

"I know" I said, my pain etched on my face. I could see the pitying look on Carlisle's face and I knew he could see how much this hurt me. "I just...let me do it?"

"Ok." Carlisle said with a sigh. '"But be careful."

Slowly I bent down and scooped Akando's body up, careful of his broken parts as I cradled him in my arms. He looked so tiny and weak in my arms and the very sight of him broke my heart. Even in his unconscious state, he seemed to be aware of my presence as he turned himself as snuggled into my body, causing me to smile. I looked down at him and I knew I would do everything in my power to protect him. I had to. I was in love with him. I had no more doubts in my mind. I was madly in love with Akando.

"I will never let anyone else hurt you again." I said, looking down at him.

And I knew I meant every word.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

I will say if there's any grammatical errors, i'm sorry but I didn't have time to thoroughly proofread it and I needed it down asap since I would be away from my computer for 2 days and I knew I had to finish this before I left.

I hope you enjoyed it. One more chapter to go.


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